The Tainted Renaissance
by Asmus
Summary: Among all the nations on Equis, no nation has enjoyed such peaceful existence like Equestria. However, nothing stays the same forever. Sooner or later great changes sweep the land, regardless of the desires or wants of those living there. A great storm of change is approaching. For better or worse, life in Equestria is about to change...
1. Prologue

Silence reigned supreme. Unnatural, unnerving silence, almost deafening in its intensity assaulted her ears as Celestia surveyed her surroundings. She flicked her ears back and forth in all directions, even casting a spell to sharpen hear hearing, but there was nothing she could hear. At least nothing apart from silent voices and cautious hoofsteps of the Royal Guard as the soldiers scoured the nearby area for any clues. So far, there were no results.

Celestia removed the spell and opened her eyes, sighing heavily when her eyes took in the sight of a small and completely empty village. She was standing in the middle of the crossroads that served as the center of the settlement where five roads came together in a single point, taking the appearance of a five point star when viewed from above. In fact, that's there the village's name, Five Points came from. Located in the Southern part of Equestria, the frontier settlement would have spent most of its existence completely unnoticed and unheard of, except for the fact that the entire population had gone missing without a trace.

The princess picked one road at random and slowly walked down the street, looking at the empty buildings, hoping that inside one of them there would be at least a single pony who had managed to survive whatever had happened here and would be able to provide some answers. No such luck. Only empty windows and open doors that were staring at her, silently following her movements and keeping all the secrets to themselves.

"Your Majesty!" The sudden voice of a guardspony, coming somewhere from above, almost made Celestia jump. She looked up and saw a pegasus pony come in for a landing next to her. The stallion landed and, after a quick bow, gave her the report. "We have searched the area. So far we have found nothing. No survivors, no clues as to what happened here. Apart from a few overturned tables or small things like that, it looks like everypony just stood up and left. Judging from the hoofmarks on the ground, they all headed in the same direction before disappearing some sixty meters past the outermost buildings. We are trying to pick up the tracks, but just like before, there is nothing. It's as if they vanished in thin air."

Celestia listened to the report and dismissed him with a nod. "Thank you. Please tell others to make one more sweep through the settlement. Make sure to document every possible clue, regardless how insignificant or strange it might seem. All possibilities must be considered. This is the third time already and we still have no idea what is going on." The pegasus nodded in acknowledgment and took off, leaving Celestia alone again. She watched him leave and, once she was sure the stallion was out of earshot, let out a heavy sigh and cast around a gaze filled with a mixture of frustration and desperation.

Three settlements over the course of the month. All of them small settlements, located far away from the major population centers, allowing the ones responsible for it to work with little chances of being noticed. News traveled slowly. It had taken more than two weeks after the first village had disappeared for the news to reach Celestia. Though she had taken immediate action and responded at once, she was no closer to solving the mystery as she was two weeks ago.

Celestia heaved another sigh and shook her head in order to clear her thoughts. She cast around a quick look, this time taking in the landscape rather than the buildings. There wasn't much to see. The terrain was rather rocky, covered with small ridges and dried out riverbeds. Small trees and spare shrubs represented the local vegetation, while a thick orchard of plums and cherry trees, near the village, represented the attempts of the ponies who once lived here, to tame the land. As far as Celestia could see, they had been successful. The orchards had brought the town an additional source of food and income in addition to hotels and supply stores that took care of the traders passing through the town. At least, that had been the case until...

The princess once again shook her head, banishing the unwelcome thoughts. It was time for her to meet up with the senior members of the Royal Guard, so that they could better organize the last sweep of the town. She spread her massive wings and was about to take off when a strange sensation crawled up the back of her neck, forcing her to freeze for a moment. She was being watched. Somepony, was observing her with such intensity, Celestia could almost physically feel it. It was like a pressure on every part of her body. Cold, firm pressure that drowned out all the other sensations.

The white alicorn folded her wings and turned around, her eyes moving from one spot to another, searching for the source of the unpleasant feeling. She scanned the windows, alleys, corners, rooftops, everything in her vicinity, but found nothing. There was nopony in the immediate proximity. She then cast her gaze on more distant locations. The skies above her were empty. There wasn't a single cloud, much less a pony, in sight. Her eyes then focused on the horizon as well as the various terrain features she could see. Large rocks, hills, ridges... There! The thought flashed through her mind when she finally noticed it.

Standing on top of the tallest ridge was a pony. At least Celestia assumed the silhouette was a pony. It was difficult to make it out at this range. With her eyes locked onto the observer, Celestia cast a Farsight spell on her eyes. She blinked a few times and suddenly found her vision so powerful she felt like she was standing right next to the strange pony. So close it felt like she could touch the pony just by reaching out.

The figure was clearly a pony. A unicorn mare to be precise. Her body shape and size allowed Celestia to quickly identify the most obvious details. However, once she took a closer look, Celestia had to take a short gasp. The mare's coat was black, unnaturally black. It was so dark, it looked like it was absorbing the nearby light. A pony shaped tear in the fabric of reality, revealing the darkness behind it. Her eyes were also black, the slitted pale pink pupils were the only way to determine the direction the unicorn was looking in. The same pink color was faintly noticeable in her mane and tail, which made them just a little bit lighter than the rest of her fur coat.

However, the unicorn's appearance was not the cause of Celestia's discomfort. It was the gaze. The intense, focused gaze that was burrowing into Celestia's eyes as if nothing else existed in the world. It wasn't a hostile gaze, but neither was it a friendly one. It was just a stare, a blank, piercing stare that felt like it was going past her eyes and looking directly into her soul. At the same time, Celestia noticed that the unicorn's mouth was moving as of she was saying or rather chanting something.

All of it changed, however, the moment Celestia decided to approach the unicorn. The mare's mouth stopped moving and her eyes narrowed a fraction. A moment later, a sudden gust of wind, rushing through the town, sent Celestia's ethereal mane billowing. Celestia shook her head to clear her eyes and focused her sight on the unicorn again. The black mare was still there. However, the moment the gust hit her, Celestia had to blink her eyes more than once to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

Small bits and pieces flew off the unicorn, as the pony dissolved into air like a statue made of fine powder. The pitch black dust swirled in the air in complex patterns before the wind scattered them without a trace. Just five seconds later, Celestia found herself staring at an empty space. The princess canceled the spell and blinked her eyes as her vision returned to normal. She cast a glance at the ridge, but didn't see anything. The pony was gone without a trace. She was, once again alone. Alone to figure out what exactly was gong on and why.


	2. One and a Half Unicorn

Rarity was not a happy pony. At the current moment she felt like the least fortunate mare in all of Equestria. Absolutely everything was working against her and there was nothing she could do about it. Nothing other than carry on and hope that her luck would change.

Her thoughts were scattered to all winds when her hoof got caught in something, she couldn't see what it was, and the white mare fell down, hitting the ground hard, splashing thick mud in every direction. A fair amount of the vile stuff ended on her coat, adding to the thick layer of dirt and grime already there. Strangely though, the dirt was only a secondary concern at best. Usually, Rarity would be horrified at the thought of even a tiny speck of dust ruining her coat, but right now, she failed to notice it. Even if she did, Rarity had more pressing concerns to deal with.

Hooves slipping in the mud, the white unicorn forced herself to stand up. Rarity ignored the shaking of her legs as well as the massive headache that intensified the moment she was standing again. At least she tried to. Her head was hurting so bad, she lifted her hoof and pressed it against the spot that felt like the center of the pain. A cry of pain escaped her lips the moment her hoof touched her head right between her left eye and the horn. She took in a jagged breath, forcing air into her lungs even though it felt like somepony was shoving hot coals down her throat and inside her chest with every breath Rarity took.

A few short breaths later, Rarity lowered her hoof and had to close her eyes for a moment when she saw it come away covered in blood. Her blood. The sensation of hot fluid trickling down the side of her head was impossible not to notice, despite the intense downpour. That was most likely because her blood was hot, while the rainstorm was downright freezing. Such contrasts were hard to miss. Shoving aside the sensation of pain that assaulted almost every part of her body aside, Rarity resumed walking. She had to get back home. And as she pushed herself through a particularly thick brush, trying not to think about the monumental task of getting her coat and mane clean again, Rarity focused the idle part of her thoughts on the events that led to her current predicament.

It was very simple actually, she could thank her inspiration for this. A sudden flash of inspiration had struck her early in the morning, filling her with compulsion to create art. And create art she had. At least until she had ran out of gems, which had forced her to do a quick trip to her usual hunting grounds.

A flash of lightning, followed by a deafening crack of thunder interrupted her thoughts, forcing Rarity to cast a concerned glance upwards as if searching for any signs that would tell her whether or not the lightning would strike somewhere nearby. However, her search bore no fruit It was so dark, she could barely see anything. The thick layer of storm clouds hiding the moon as well as the dense foliage made it impossible to see further than a few meters in any direction. She was pretty much blindly stumbling through the darkness, hoping that she was heading the right way. During this time, Rarity recalled the last episode of her gem hunt where everything had gone terribly wrong.

Her gem hunt had been quite fortunate. Then again, all of her hunts were. Her spell had done a marvelous job at revealing the gems she needed. It hadn't taken her a long time to load a noticeable pile into the small cart she had brought with her. However, during her search she hadn't noticed that she had moved near an edge of a cliff that formed an entire side of the hill she had been on. With her back towards the edge of the cliff, Rarity hadn't had a single warning about the dangerous situation she had been in.

The only warning she had received had been when the ground beneath her had suddenly become loose and unable to support her weight. In the process of digging numerous holes as well as moving around half and fully buried rocks, Rarity had weakened the integrity of the section of the edge she was on. Her taking a step closer to the edge had been the final straw. The entire edge had given in and had turned into a massive landslide that had carried everything on the platform, including Rarity, down the cliff-side in a lightning fast and unstoppable flow. The only thing Rarity could recall from the fall was the sharp blow to the head at the very end.

Rarity had woken up several hours later in the middle of an intense downpour, lying in a large puddle, half-buried under a pile of mud, rocks, broken branches, leaves and other types of plants. However, as soon as she woken up, her remaining senses had flared to life and hadn't hesitated to inform her of pain. Immense pain all over her body, making it hard to breath, think or otherwise gather her thoughts.

It had taken her a lot of time to free herself of the mud. She'd tried to use magic, but had nearly passed out when the pain in her head had skyrocketed to almost unbearable levels and hadn't gone away even after she had stopped to use magic. Fortunately, the mud hadn't been that deep and Rarity had been able to free herself with pure force alone. Once she free, Rarity had moved underneath a nearby tree and, after a brief thought, had decided to abandon her gem hunt and return home.

The decision had been made more than two hours ago. More than two hours of wondering through the dark and rainy forest, unable to see a single familiar tree, which would help her get back on track. The headache wasn't helping either.

Strangely, though, she wasn't too worried about being lost. Sure, it was inconvenient in the extreme, but Rarity had little doubt that sooner or later she would return home. She had friends. The moment they noticed she was missing, they would go and look for her. Of course, that did not mean she was content to just stay there and wait to be rescued. She wasn't helpless. Rarity proved it to herself by increasing her pace, despite the various aches becoming less bearable.

Rarity's mind came to an unexpected halt when she saw something in the distance. Her entire body froze up as she focused her gaze in the direction where, unless she was hallucinating, she had spotted a flash of light. Not one from the lightning, but the warm glow of a lantern. A sudden jolt surged through her body when she saw it again. A small light was moving not far from her, flickering and occasionally disappearing from her view as it was briefly obscured by a tree or a bush. Not only that, but when she focused her hearing, Rarity was certain she could hear the sound of hoofsteps. How she could hear it over the thunderstorm, Rarity had no idea. Perhaps she was imagining the sound in order to give herself additional hope.

Well, sound or not, the fact that she was looking on what was obviously the light coming from a lantern, which was being carried by somepony, did wonders in lifting her spirits and lending her extra strength. With her eyes focused on the light, Rarity moved towards it as quickly as she could. She ignored her body protesting against such sudden and quick movement by leaping over a log lying on the ground. She immediately regretted her decision. Her legs almost gave out from the impact of landing, sending her stumbling in an ungraceful manner before she recovered. Still, Rarity didn't stop moving. Not now. Not when she had a chance to escape her current situation right in front of her.

"Hello?" She called and blinked her eyes in order to get rid of some of the rain that was flowing from her mane. "Is anypony there? Please, I am in need of help." Whoever was holding the lantern must have heard it, as the light came to a sudden halt. The sight fully convinced Rarity that here was definitely somepony out there. She wasn't seeing things.

The light moved downwards a little. The pony holding it must have lowered it on the ground. "I am over here." Rarity called out again. She pushed herself through a relatively sparse bush, gaining a few more scratches on her sides in the process. It didn't matter. Right now she didn't care about something like that. Once she was back home, then she would address the issues regarding her appearance, but right now, all she wanted was to reach that light, meet the pony next to it and ask him or her to help her get back to Ponyville.

Rarity was close enough that the lantern turned from an obscure orb of light in the distance, to a solid object that was standing in the middle of a dirt road, illuminating the surrounding area and letting her notice plants and other objects the light was revealing. Strangely, though she didn't see anything else. She saw the lantern, the dirt road, the trees and bushes it cast its light upon, but she didn't see the pony who was supposed to be carrying the lantern. Rarity thought she saw movement in the bushes on the other side of the lantern, but when she looked again, there was nothing else, but a cluster of bushes whose leaves were rustling in the wind.

With her hooves meeting solid ground instead of grass and moss, Rarity entered the circle of light the lantern was casting. A quick look around confirmed her suspicions. There was nopony there. "Hello?" She tried again while looking around. Nothing. She slowly walked over to the lantern until she was standing right next to it. The faint warmth coming from it confirmed that this wasn't a product of her imagination. This was real. She was standing next to somepony's lantern on a dirt road in the middle of the forest, covered in mud as well as scrapes and bruises while rain kept falling on her, drenching her mane and coat. However, the pony to whom the lantern belonged to was nowhere in sight.

"Is anypony there? Please, I am in need of assistance and I would greatly appreciate your help." The white mare hoped that a more polite request would yield some results. No such luck, she was still standing all alone, with nothing but the forest and rain to keep her company. Rarity waited a few more minutes before she decided to act. If there was no pony else nearby then she had to keep on moving. As for the lantern, she glanced down, since it was of no use to anypony while standing in the middle of the forest, she might as well take it and use it to get home. This way she wouldn't have to worry about blindly stumbling around. Rarity was just about to lean down and grab the lantern when a voice spoke from behind her.

"Can I help you ma'am?" Rarity let out a surprised gasp and quickly turned around, almost knocking down the lantern while doing so.

Standing on the edge of the light, with a pair of saddlebags hanging from his sides, was a gray stallion. An earth pony, considering she couldn't see any wings or a horn. He was looking at her, his dark green eyes traveling back and forth across her as he took in every single detail. Like Rarity, the stallion was also wet from the rain, his long dark blue, almost black mane hanging from his head and neck, similarly to Rarity's. The difference was that, unlike Rarity, he wasn't carrying half of the forest's flora in it. Another thing Rarity noticed was the tension in his stance. The stallion was like a coiled spring, ready to explode into action at the slightest touch. That little detail made her take a step back. However, when their eyes met a moment later, Rarity saw no anger or threat inside them. Instead, they were filled with a mixture of curiosity and, much to her surprise, fear. For a reason she could not fathom, he was afraid of her. As if expecting her to attack him any moment.

Rarity was so surprised that she forgot to reply to his question. Instead, they stood there, staring at each other as if caught in a trance. Eventually, the stallion took a careful step forward and spoke again. "Can I help you, ma'am? You seem to be hurt. What happened to you?" Just like the look in his eyes, the stallion spoke in a cautious voice. Fortunately Rarity also heard genuine concern in his words.

"Ah, yes... help." Rarity mentally shook her head, pushing the confusion to the back of her mind. "I am afraid I had an accident, as you can plainly see. I had the misfortune of being caught in a landslide earlier today. When I woke up, it was already dark and I couldn't see a thing, which led me to wondering around this forest, looking for a way back home." She summed up the day's events. "Please, good sir, could you direct me towards Ponyville? I must return home in order to take care of all this dirt." She pointed at her mane and the rest of her body.

The stallion's eyes followed her hoof before focusing on her eyes again. "That is very unfortunate indeed, ma'am. Judging from the sound of it, you were fortunate to get away with only a few scrapes. As for Ponyville, it is in that direction." He pointed in the direction he was facing. "Head down this road and turn right at the crossroads. You should reach Ponyville in about an hour, roughly speaking."

Rarity felt the bottom of her stomach drop. "An hour?" How far away had she wandered off in her confusion? She turned her head in the indicated direction and stared at the road as it disappeared into the darkness. The trees on either side of the road made it look like it was leading into a giant maw. The white unicorn looked down at the lantern and then back at the road. A whole hour through darkness, rain and mud. She wasn't sure she could do that. Then again, what choice did she have?

With a heavy sigh, she turned her gaze back at the gray stallion and flashed a thankful smile. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate your help." A sudden thought crossed her mind. Perhaps she wouldn't have to do it all alone. "Um, excuse me for asking, but where are you heading? If you are traveling to Ponyville perhaps we could do it together?" Her hopes lasted only for a moment before the stallion shook his head.

"Sorry, ma'am, but I do not live in Ponyville."

"Oh, I see. That is most unfortunate." Rarity said. She should have known better than to hope for such luck. This entire day had been unfortunate for her, no reason for her luck to turn. She'd been lucky enough to meet a fellow pony. "It looks like I'll just have to make it on my own. Either way, thank you for your assistance, mister..." She paused, fishing for his name.

"Lumberjack." The pony replied after a moment of thought. The fear in his eyes was gone and though there was still a fair amount of tension in his posture, it was nowhere near the level it had previously been at.

"It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, mister Lumberjack." Rarity felt her miserable state recede enough for her usual elegance to surface. "My name is Rarity. Once again, I am thankful for your help. But now I must go. If you ever decide to visit Ponyville, come to the Carousel Boutique. Perhaps I will find a way to repay you for your assistance. Farewell." Rarity said and steeled herself for the journey ahead. She turned around and set off in a slow, but at the same time determined, pace. She had survived the fall, the forest and the mud. There was no way she would let a the road ahead of her get the upper hand.

Lumberjack didn't say a word as she walked past the lantern and left him behind. The last look on his face Rarity saw, told her that he once again had that tense look on his face. The one he had sported at the very beginning of their short meeting. The one that told her of an immense conflict being resolved behind those dark green eyes. She was mildly curious to find out what he was thinking so hard about, but the pang of pain from near her horn reminded her that she had other, more important matters to take care of.

It was around two minutes later when Rarity heard the thundering sound of hooves hitting the ground in rapid rhythm approaching from behind her. She glanced back and saw Lumberjack running up to her. "Ma'am. Miss Rarity. Wait." His words were slightly unclear, courtesy of the handle between his teeth. The lantern was wildly swinging back and forth, causing the light to move back and forth as well. "Please wait." The gray stallion repeated as he came to a stop right next to her. He placed the lantern on the road before addressing her.

"Miss Rarity, please. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to go on like this. You asked for help and the only thing I did was show you directions. It is unacceptable! You are injured, probably tired, it's the middle of the night and it's raining." Lumberjack said and glanced at a spot above Rarity's eyes where the gash was located. "This is not the best time to be outside. Therefore, if I may suggest, perhaps you would be willing to spend the night in my house? I have medical supplies for that gash on your forehead and you will also be able to get some rest. Afterwards, tomorrow morning, I will escort you all the way back to Ponyville."

"Spend the night in your house?" Rarity was surprised by the sudden offer.

"Yes, I live very close by." The stallion nodded and continued, this time with some regret in his voice. "I should have made this offer the moment you asked me for help, but the thing is, I live alone and I don't meet other ponies very often. That and, I'm not afraid to admit, you did scare me when you called out to me so suddenly. It took me a while to get my thoughts back in order."

Rarity gave it some thought. The chance to put something between her and the rainstorm, take care of her injuries as well as getting rid of all the mud did sound appealing. The offer to get some rest as well was just icing on cake. However, Rarity wasn't certain she could trust Lumberjack. She had just met him and didn't know a thing about him. Following a stranger to his house sounded like a very bad idea. Then again, he did sound sincere and the look in his eyes told her that Lumberjack had no sinister motives in mind. That or he was a very good liar. She didn't think he was lying though, as someone who spent quite a lot of time dealing with the upper crust of Canterlot's society as well as other celebrities from all over Equestria, Rarity was familiar with false facades and hidden meanings that came with the territory. She had little trouble spotting when somepony was hiding something, and as far as she could tell, Lumberjack was being honest. Besides, even if he did try something funny, Rarity knew how to defend herself. Sure, she wasn't in her best form at the moment, but she was still more than capable of taking on anypony she knew. If something went wrong, Rarity would make sure that Lumberjack remembered this day for a very long time.

"Very well. I accept your offer, Lumberjack." Rarity said. "Thank you."

Some of her concerns must have surfaced on her face, because Lumberjack smiled a reassuring smile when he heard her reply. "I assure you, miss Rarity, I mean you no harm. Truth be told, if I wanted to do something like that, letting you go would be a much easier way to accomplish that." He pointed out and picked up the lantern before proceeding down the road in the opposite direction of Ponyville, with Rarity trotting right next to him. "This is about doing what is right."

For the next few minutes, they both made their way towards Lumberjack's house in silence. They moved fast enough to reach their destination as quickly as possible, yet at the same time, Lumberjack, who was leading the way, also made sure to keep the pace at a level where Rarity was able to move without too much discomfort. Rarity greatly appreciated the courtesy. Now that the prospect of a good rest was hanging pretty much in front of her eyes, her eagerness was making her impatient and, in an effort to further motivate her, it was making every ache feel twice as strong as it actually was. Rarity stumbled a bit when her hoof slipped on the ground. Almost instantly Lumberjack glanced back at her, worried that the sudden sound would indicate that something bad had happened.

"No need to worry. I am fine. Thank you for your concern." Rarity put his worries to rest, forcing herself to sound less tired than she actually was. "Just slipped a bit. Nothing serious."

"Oh, okay. Fortunately, we're almost there. Just a little bit left. This way, miss Rarity." Lumberjack replied and moved off the road, walking down a small, almost unnoticeable path that led deeper into the forest. "My house is a bit off the road. It is more private that way." He explained.

Rarity arched her eyebrow and look in both directions of the road. "More privacy? You live in the middle of the forest. There can't be that many ponies around."

"Well, yes. You are right about that. It's just that this road does see a fair amount of traffic. It's one way a pony can travel from Canterlot to Ponyville or Dodge City. Not many do it, since it's much faster to take the train. However, some ponies do prefer the longer road. And, considering that the nearest inn is some thirty minutes away, it's logical that somepony would decide to stop at my house." The gray stallion explained as they walked down the small path. It was too narrow for them to walk side by side so Rarity decided to follow him rather than step off the path and into the grass. She had enough of that for one day. "I am not good with other ponies, so I prefer to stay away."

"Yet here you are, inviting me to follow you and offering a place to spend the night."

Lumberjack gave a short chuckle and Rarity saw him nod his head in agreement. "Good point. If this was a normal situation, I would have simply let you go and that would have been all. However, I think you will agree, this is not a normal situation. You asked me to help you and I couldn't leave you there. As much as I dislike contact with others, I can't just refuse a request for help."

Rarity was about to reply, but was cut short when he saw several lights through the trees. A moment later, the path led them to a small glade where a small cottage was located. The building was rather simple. It looked just like any other building in Ponyville. Light gray stone walls with a thatched roof. There was also a small shed, right next to the building as well as an entrance to the basement. However, the sight that instantly drew Rarity's attention was the light coming from the windows. Beautiful, welcoming light that promised shelter, warmth and peace from the rain.

"We're here." Lumberjack said as they stopped in front of the door. He put down the lantern and started rummaging through his saddlebags. A few moments later, he fished out a key and unlocked the door. "Please." He gestured at Rarity to enter.

Not one to turn such an invitation down, Rarity entered the house and let out a short breath of relief when she felt the constant feeling of rain on her back go away. She looked around and saw that the interior wasn't that much different from other houses. A single, large room dominated most of the interior. The most distinctive feature was the fireplace, located at the far opposite wall, with a pair of bookcases nearby and a reading chair in front of it. A large table with three chairs was in front of her across the room, near the doors leading to the kitchen. Right next to the entrance was a pair of wardrobes and shelves. Another set of doors was located to her left, while a dividing wall to her right, concealed the rest of the room.

Rarity walked further inside and saw that the rest of the room, hidden behind the dividing wall, was occupied with even more bookcases, a chest and a large desk, which was entirely covered by various books, scrolls, notes and other things. There was also a staircase, which led to the attic, where, Rarity assumed, the bedroom was located. All in all, the interior was simple and at the same time, comforting, the dark wooden panels covering the walls, played a major part of it. She quickly noticed that the furniture was old, but well maintained with a perfect balance between comfort, appearance and practicality.

She took another step and felt her hoof land on a soft rug. I am dirty. A panicked thought flashed through her mind, causing her to look down at her dirt covered hooves, step off the rug and look back at Lumberjack, who was busy removing he saddlebags. "Oh, I am terribly sorry. I dragged mud all over the floor." Rarity said apologetically. "Is there a place I could..."

"The bathroom is over there, miss Rarity." Lumberjack smiled and pointed towards the door on his left. "You will be able to wash off the mud in there. I do have to warn you, though. Considering the location, all I can offer is a cold shower. It's difficult to get hot water all the way out here."

With a thankful nod and relief flooding every part of her body, Rarity quickly moved towards the bathroom. Once inside, she reached for the switch and turned on the lights. Magic crystals, arranged along the walls, came to life, filling the small room with light, allowing her to see a small cabinet, a sink, a shower stall and a mirror. "Thank you. I won't take long." Rarity said and closed the doors. She then walked over to the mirror and glanced inside. What she saw there made her gasp in shock.

Rarity knew that she was a mess. She had expected to see dirt, leaves, and even a bit of blood. However, the reality was much more shocking than she had expected. Her mane was ruined. That was a fact. In some places it was difficult to tell where her mane ended and a patch of mud began. There were also small twigs hanging from the knots in her mane as well as leaves of all types. Her face wasn't that different. The entire left side of her face was covered with a mixture of half-clotted blood and mud, creating a gross, leathery layer that was disgusting to the touch. Some of the stuff was even in her eyelashes. In short, her appearance was a disaster of highest proportions. No wonder Lumberjack got scared when he saw her.

Afraid to even look at the rest of her body, Rarity hurried into the shower and let water cascade over her. The fact that the water was cold didn't bother her at all. Usually she took cold showers, since cold water was good for the health and beauty. She closed her eyes in delight as she felt all the dirt and mud being washed off of her, making her feel lighter. Even her headache wasn't as strong as before, the relief of experiencing a small bit of civilized lifestyle acting as a wonderful painkiller.

Rarity ran her hooves through her mane, getting rid of all the unwanted objects and untangling the knots. Rarity then rubbed her face in order to get rid of all the blood. The cold water also helped reduce the pain from the gash. She was careful not to touch the scar too much. The blood had clotted enough that it wasn't flowing anymore. Disturbing the clot would result in the whole mess starting all over again and perhaps even leaving a scar. Rarity shuddered at the thought and made sure to make an appointment at the Ponyville's clinic in order to have a professional look at it. Having a scar on her face would be the worst possible thing.

Once she was done, Rarity shut off the shower and stepped outside with a noticeable spring in her steps. A single shower and she already felt like a young filly. Rarity looked at the mirror again and this time instead of a gasp, she smiled at her reflection when she saw herself, not the swamp creature from before. Unfortunately, her smile soon disappeared when she saw that there was no drier in sight. Only a stack of towels with which to dry her coat and her mane. "Calm down, Rarity. This is an emergency. Desperate times call for desperate measures." Rarity reached out and grabbed on of the towels and began to dry herself.

She tried not to think about the damage she was doing to her mane and coat by using a towel to dry herself. She tried to ignore the agonizing cries of her soul at the rough treatment. _Rarity, this is an emergency. A one-time thing only. You're doing this only once. You'll go to the spa and get proper care as soon as you get home._ Rarity repeated the mantra in her mind the entire time it took for her to dry her coat and mane. Once she was done, Rarity was further disappointed when she didn't see a single product she could use to style her mane. There were some of them, but they were meant for stallions, not mares and Rarity had no intention of using them even as an emergency measure. In the end, she decided to keep her mane straight as it currently was. Even in her current state with towel dried coat and straight mane, Rarity had to admit, she was feeling good. Then again, anything was better than walking around with all that mud.

"Ah, you're done. Excellent." Rarity heard Lumberjack say the moment she left the bathroom. She looked over to the table where Lumberjack was busy setting down a tray of food. The sight of several sandwiches made her realize how hungry she was. Judging from the look on Lumberjack's face, he was fully aware of it. "I took the liberty of preparing a small midnight snack. I figured you'd be hungry from all that walking around. Please. Take a seat. The tea will be ready soon." He nodded in the direction of the kitchen.

With a large smile on her face, Rarity walked over to the table and sat down. "Thank you most sincerely. I have to admit, I am starving. I haven't had a bite to eat ever since I..." Her voice trailed off when she took a good look at Lumberjack's face. Or rather his forehead. It had been dark outside, so she hadn't noticed it before. Even when they had entered Lumberjack's house, where lightning was much brighter, Rarity hadn't noticed it due to her thoughts being occupied by other things. However, now that her mind was fully at rest and she could spare more attention towards studying her rescuer, it took only a second for her to notice that Lumberjack wasn't an earth pony. He was a unicorn.

Partially hidden under his dark blue mane was a horn. Or rather, the remains of what had once been a horn. Its edges were jagged and the very tip of the gray stump was charred black as if burnt. "What … what happened to your horn?"

Lumberjack took a sharp breath and raised his hoof to the stump. "Oh, this? Nothing... just a small accident a long time ago."  
>"A small accident? You can't be serious!" Rarity stared at the stump with wide eyes. She felt sympathetic pain pang through her own horn as it suddenly felt very weak and vulnerable. "What happened to you?"<p>

"Nothing … I mean, it doesn't matter... I … please … You see …. It's a bit … long ago." Lumberjack was clearly feeling very uncomfortable. He kept his hoof to his stump while looking at the table in front of him, sparing an occasional glance at Rarity. He kept trying to form a sentence, but to no avail. Every time it looked like he would tell her something, the gray stallion trailed off or found himself unable to speak. After several tries, he took a deep breath and cast a pleading look at Rarity. "Please, miss Rarity... I beg you, let's not talk about it. It is a very painful and uncomfortable memory... please."

Despite burning with desire to know more about how Lumberjack lost his horn, Rarity decided to listen to his request. It was obvious that the issue was very uncomfortable for him and he wanted to avoid talking about it. A lot of ponies had something they preferred to keep to themselves and not discuss with anypony else. Private matters were just that, private. Besides, she was a guest in his house. It would be very rude if she tried to press the issue after the help Lumberjack had given to her. "As you wish, Lumberjack. Just one question, if you don't mind. Can you use magic?" Rarity asked in a quiet voice as if afraid to hear the answer. The dead look Lumberjack gave her made Rarity's heart clench. Like any other unicorn, magic was a crucial part of her life. It was so ingrained in her everyday life that she sometimes wasn't even aware of using it. To have something like that taken away, to not be able to use any magic. She shuddered just at the mere thought of it. Of course, it was then that she realized that she was currently in a similar position. The blow to the head, resulting in one hell of a headache and a light concussion made it impossible for her to use magic. At least trouble maintaining it without being driven to her knees from the pain. "I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable." She whispered.

Lumberjack lowered his hoof and gave her a brief smile. At least he tried to put up a smiling appearance, but Rarity could see the pain in his eyes. Pain from having old scars torn open again. Suddenly, Lumberjack's preference for privacy made a lot of sense. "It's okay, miss Rarity. It's not like the horn is impossible to notice ... And it's not like one sees a crippled unicorn everyday. I understand."

An awkward silence settled between them as neither pony knew what to say and waited for the other pony to change topics. Before that could happen, the silence was broken by the sound of a kettle's whistle as the water inside it started to boil. Glad for the sudden distraction, Lumberjack grabbed the tray and hurried towards the kitchen. A few minutes later, he emerged with a pair of teacups resting on the tray he held between his teeth. He placed them on the table and offered one to Rarity. The white unicorn took the cup and inhaled the scent. "Mmm... Peppermint. Smells wonderful." Rarity commented and took a sip. It tasted just as good as it smelled and the sensation of hot tea going down her throat made her feel much better. She felt even better when she ate one of the sandwiches. She didn't realize just how hungry she actually was until she caught herself eating the third sandwich without remembering anything about the second one.

A short chuckle from Lumberjack made her blush in embarrassment at her unladylike behavior. Lumberjack was only half-way through his first sandwich, though it was obvious that he was eating just to keep her company, not because he was hungry. He saw the uncomfortable look on Rarity's face and raised his hoof in an assuring manner. "Don't worry about it and eat as much as you want. A healthy appetite is a good sign, don't you agree?"

"Yes, but it was impolite of me to eat most of them. I apologize for..."

"You don't have to apologize, miss Rarity. I am not hungry at all. The only reason I am eating is so you wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Eat as much as you want … More tea?" Lumberjack offered, the pained expression in his eyes now a distant memory as the conversation changed topics. Rarity glanced at her cup and her blush deepened a bit when she distantly recalled emptying the cup sometime between her second and third sandwich. She had to take a short breath in order to calm herself. She was acting just like her parents who merely consumed the food without enjoying the taste. Rarity scolded herself for letting her manners slip like that. She was better than that and she would prove it by eating the rest of the meal in a proper manner.

"Yes, please." Rarity nodded and patiently waited for Lumberjack to prepare another cup of tea. Only then she resumed eating, taking small bites off the sandwich and savoring the taste before washing it down with a small sip of the tea. She finished eating and used the napkin to wipe off any crumbs or stains that might have ended up on her lips. Once she was done, Rarity passed the plate and the empty cup to Lumberjack with a thankful nod. The gray stallion took the empty dishes and carried them to the kitchen. When he returned, he was carrying a first aid kit with him. He placed it on the table next to Rarity, and opened it.

"Miss Rarity, if you don't mind, may I take a look at that gash? The bleeding seems to have stopped, but I think it's best to check it out regardless. There is the possibility of infection after all." Rarity considered his offer and eventually replied with a nod. "No worries, it won't take long."

Lumberjack carefully brushed away a few strands of Rarity's mane away from the forehead and examined the injury. "Hmm, it looks like there is nothing to worry about. Seems to be shallow. I'll just disinfect it just to be sure." He turned his attention towards the first aid kit and started searching for the disinfectant. "You mentioned you got caught in a landslide. How did you end up in one, if I may ask?"

"It is simple really. There is a ridge not far from here and there are a lot of gems scattered all over that area. Even though you can find gems almost anywhere, gems over there are of much better quality. I needed them in order to finish a dress. I am a fashion designer and I often incorporate games in my designs. I find it adds a unique touch to the design." Rarity explained and winced slightly when she felt the sting of the disinfectant as Lumberjack started to clean the gash. "Anyway, I was busy searching for the gems. Unfortunately I was so focused on the task that I did not notice that the ground was becoming less safe because of my actions. Some of the gems were hidden underneath large rocks, so I had to remove them in order to get to them. As a result, when I made a careless step, the side of the hill gave in and collapsed. Since I was close to the edge, I got caught in it as well."

"Oh. That does not sound like an enjoyable thing. Good thing you were lucky enough not to be seriously injured. Such accidents often result in broken bones or worse … Wait a minute ... Fashion designer … lives in Ponyville … named Rarity." He trailed off as realization settled on his face. "Aren't you one of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony? … How could I be so stupid and not realize it sooner! … You are one of them, right? … The element of Loy... no, wait … The Element of Generosity, correct?"

Rarity chuckled at the dumbfounded look on his face. She couldn't help it. "Why yes. Yes I am. Rarity, the Element of Generosity."

"Wow … I can't … Wow." Lumberjack gasped, his hoof hovering somewhere above Rarity's head as he absentmindedly kept cleaning the injury. Rarity glanced up, laughed a bit and brought his hoof down to the actual spot. That turned out to be a mistake. Lumberjack was still staring at her in amazement and failed to pay any attention to his actions. As a result, Rarity grunted in pain when the piece of cotton in Lumberjack's hoof came down a little bit harder than intended.

"Please, do be careful with that." Rarity directed his attention to the gash on her forehead.

"Sorry." Lumberjack pulled away his hoof as if he had burned it. "It's just that meeting a hero of Equestria like this is the last thing I expected. I have heard a lot about you. All those times you saved Equestria... Wow. I mean, I knew that you all live in Ponyville, but I never expected to actually meet you. I have to say, it's an honor to meet you, miss Rarity. I am grateful for what you have done for all of Equestria."

"Thank you." Rarity gave him a kind smile. She always loved being treated like a celebrity. Being admired was one of the things she enjoyed. This was also one of the very few times when a pony expressed his gratitude for her efforts just like that, out of the blue."I appreciate your gratitude, but I can hardly claim all the credit. I worked together with my friends. Without them, I wouldn't be sitting here. We all helped each other and stood by each others' side."

"Apologies, miss Rarity, I wasn't insinuating that your friends were in any way less important. It's just that you are the only one of the Element Bearers I have met, so I couldn't avoid focusing mostly on you. All of you are important and I would be a fool to deny that." Lumberjack nodded in agreement and resumed the treatment. He didn't say anything else on the matter, but Rarity could plainly see the enthusiastic grin on his face. Part of her enjoyed the attention she was getting, however, another part of her felt exhausted. As much as she enjoyed being in the spotlight, right now, she didn't have the strength for it. She was content to merely sit there, savor the brief moment of fame and wait for Lumberjack to finish. As it turned out, she didn't have to wait for long. "There, that should do it. Didn't look serious, it was only a flesh wound. Either way, cleaned it and it seems to be well on the way of healing. Won't even leave a scar."

Rarity carefully raised her hoof to her forehead and probed it a few times. As far as she could tell, everything was fine. At least as far as the injury went. There was still the mild concussion and headache to consider. "Thank you most sincerely, Lumberjack. Your help is greatly appreciated. There is one more thing though. Do you have anything for headache? I hit my head during the accident and the pain doesn't seem to be going away."

"Of course. One moment." Lumberjack quickly searched his first aid kit and produced a bottle of pills. He checked the instructions, opened the bottle and shook out a pair of white pills. He then fetched a glass of water and offered it to Rarity. "These should kick in almost immediately." The white mare took the pills and washed them down with water. She was surprised to feel the pain recede almost instantly, however, after a brief though, Rarity realized that it was nothing more than her imagination. The medicine would take time to work.

Meanwhile Lumberjack finished gathering the medical supplies and placed them back inside the kit. Once that was done, he glanced outside the nearby window before addressing Rarity. "Now that that's taken care of, I think it would be best if you got some sleep."

"Yes, I would like that very much, assuming I am not inconveniencing you." Rarity replied with slight concern. It was one thing to know that she would be spending the night at Lumberjack's house, but it was an entirely different thing to actually talk about it. It felt like a much greater intrusion of a pony's privacy than any of the previous things. A chance to clean up, a meal, as well as medical aid was something that most ponies would offer to others without a second thought. It was basic decency. However, spending a night at somepony's house was a much more serious. It placed more demands on the host.

"Not at all, miss Rarity. I invited you here after all. And I would be a very poor host if I kicked you out in your condition and in this weather." Lumberjack put her concerns to rest with a kind laugh. Gesturing her to follow him, he lit a candle from the fireplace and led Rarity across the room towards the staircase. As expected, the second floor wasn't an actual floor. Unlike most ponies who used attic to store old things they didn't have the heart to throw out, Lumberjack had turned the attic into a room that saw frequent use. Once they were up the stairs, they ended up in front of a small room. The gray stallion opened the doors and gestured Rarity to enter.

Lumberjack's bedroom was messy. Though Rarity was quick to notice that the books, scattered across the floor, piled on top of the desk near the window, or resting inside the two bookcases or on top of the nightstand as well as on the bed itself weren't there because Lumberjack didn't care about cleaning up after himself. There was chaos, but there was a system to it, it was organized chaos. A work in progress type of mess. Just like her inspiration room back at Carousel Boutique.

The gray stallion muttered a quick apology and hastily cleared some of the books off to the side, so that they presented less of an obstacle. He also removed the piles of books from his bed and shoved them into a nearby bookcase. Once he was satisfied, Lumberjack gave Rarity a somewhat sheepish smile. "I apologize for the mess. I sometimes get carried away with my work and fail to remember to put away some things before taking out new ones. Anyway, I hope this bed will be to your liking. It's not much, but it's all I have to offer."

Rarity frowned when she heard his words. "Wait, this is the only bed you have? Your bed?" Her frowned deepened when she saw Lumberjack give a short nod. "I can't do it. I can't claim the only bed in the house. Even as a guest that would be rude."

"Well, the alternative is a worn out reading chair downstairs. However, letting a guest and a lady sleep in it while I spend the night up here would be rude to the extreme. I am afraid I must insist that you sleep here." He patted on the covers before his voice took a more reassuring tone. "Thing is, I am not much of a sleeper. A few hours of sleep is more than enough for me. Besides, I still have a few tasks to take care of, so I will be up for a while. Please, miss Rarity. You need a good rest more than I do."

Rarity bit her lip as she considered her reply. On one hoof, she was tempted to accept his offer. While the bed wouldn't be up to her standards, it was still a lot more comfortable than anything else that was available. Furthermore, Lumberjack was being polite and was determined to treat her like a lady by offering the best he had. On the other hoof, she did feel like she was intruding. Yes, she liked getting special treatment, yes, she enjoyed comfort, yes, she wanted to have the best possible thing. But never at somepony's expense. To take from others without any regard for them, it went against everything Rarity stood for.

Eventually, Rarity decided to acquiesce Lumberjack's offer. He had raised a lot of good points and didn't seem to be bothered by it. That, or he was hiding it very well. However, a quick memory of Lumberjack's initial offer of help and the lack of lies in his eyes, convinced Rarity that Lumberjack was speaking the truth. He didn't mind her taking the only bed. "Very well. I accept your offer. Thank you for your generosity, Lumberjack." Rarity gave in with a tired voice. Now that she could see the bed, or, after a short walk, touch it, Rarity realized just how tired she was. Her eyes were almost closing on their own accord and she could barely remain on her hooves.

"You are welcome. In case you need anything, I'll be downstairs." Lumberjack replied and headed towards the doors. "Good night."

After he left, Rarity kept her gaze focused on the doors before glancing outside through the only window the room had. The storm was still going on at full strength. Rainbow Dash and her team had really outdone themselves. The weather schedule rarely called for storms, but the very few times it did, the cyan pegasus preferred quality over quantity. Instead of a light storm that lasted for a day or two, she arranged for a stronger one that lasted only a single night. While such an approach made the storms more devastating, they passed much quicker. Besides, Rainbow Dash always made sure that Ponyville itself didn't experience any damage. Rarity knew that tomorrow morning there would be no trace of the storm. The skies would be bright and sunny with not a single cloud in sight.

"Well, what better way to wait for the storm to pass than to simply sleep through it?" Rarity muttered and got into the bed. The bed was very comfortable and coupled with the warmth coming from the fireplace below, the white unicorn found herself slowly drifting to sleep. Rarity turned to the side and cast a sleepy gaze at the stack of books on the nightstand. The light of the candle nearby allowed her to read the titles. The books were ancient myths, magic history and... her train of thoughts broke as she fell asleep.

xxxxx

When Rarity woke up, the sun was already up. She yawned and looked outside the window. The welcoming sight of a beautiful late summer morning added an extra boost to her already high spirits. Rarity sat up in the bed and stretched. Her mood worsened a bit when she felt some of the sore spots act up, but she instantly dismissed them. They were barely more than a minor annoyance. Something the lack of headache made it easy to fully ignore. In fact, the lack of headache made her draw a sharp breath when Rarity realized one thing. She focused her mind on one of the nearby books and smiled when she saw it float in the air, surrounded by blue aura. She could use magic again. Or rather, she could use magic without having to worry about headache.

Smiling in relief, Rarity got up from the bed and slowly made her way towards the door. At the same time, the bedsheets behind her folded themselves and soon were piled into a neat stack on top of the bed. Rarity even made sure to correct a few of the book piles that looked particularly unstable. She couldn't help it, she hadn't realized just how much she'd missed to be able to use magic. It was like finding a small part of herself she hadn't realized it had been missing and once it was in place, the entire world felt like a better place. With the same relieved smile still lingering on her lips, Rarity left the room and walked downstairs.

"Lumberjack? Are you there?" Rarity called out as she descended down the stairs. To her displeasure, no response came. She glanced around once she reached the end of the stairs, her ears moving back and forth as she tried to pick up the sound of any response, but no answer came. The morning light was pouring through the windows, filling every part of the cottage, but not its owner.

Frowning, Rarity walked towards where the dividing room separated the living area she was currently in, from the more utilitarian part of the house. Rarity glanced at the desk nearby and, with curiosity getting the better of her, stopped to take a peek at the notes and books scattered all over it. History of magic? Rarity arched her eyebrows as she studied some of the most obvious titles. _Why would he study magic if he can't use it?_ An idle thought crossed her mind. It was one thing to study magic on a purely academic level, but from the material she was seeing, Lumberjack's interest was much deeper than that. "Origins of magic … Ancient cultures … Myths and legends of the old world … Teachings of Epona … 20 Scriptures of Epona … Book of Epona … The origins Evening War." Rarity read some of the titles, noting how often they referenced Epona.

Rarity was not well versed in ancient history, but like every pony she knew about the myths of Epona. According to legends, Epona, also known as the Great Mare, was considered as the creator of the world. Epona was the goddess who created not only the world, the magic, the sun and the moon, but also all the living beings. Earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, alicorns and all the creatures in the world were considered her children and part of the Great Herd, whereas Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were considered divine manifestations of Epona. As a result it was no wonder that a lot of ponies worshiped her.

However, it wasn't the religious aspect Lumberjack was working on. His notes were focused on the creation of magic, ancient languages and something called The Grimoire of Evening War, which, as far as Rarity could discern, was a book of great importance to Lumberjack. In fact, he seemed to be almost obsessed with it. Every book that was open had tiny notes scribbled on the pages, all mentioning or referencing the Grimoire. Rarity looked at the remaining books, partially expecting Lumberjack to have a copy of the book that seemed to be the focus of his work, but apart from some of the books with titles in languages Rarity couldn't understand, it wasn't there.

She was about to move around some of the books in order to continue her search, when a bird landed just outside the window near the desk and started singing loud enough to startle her. Rarity jumped a bit and glared at the dark green and black bird for giving her such a scare. Almost immediately, Rarity's mind grasped the situation she was in and she felt shame overwhelming her. She was a guest at Lumberjack's house and she was sticking her nose into his business without asking. Just because the books were in the open did not mean she could read them and study his notes. It was rude.

Chastising herself for such behavior, Rarity stepped away from the desk and made her way towards the table where Lumberjack had served her sandwiches last night. Immediately, Rarity noticed several things placed on the table. One was a large plate with several sandwiches under a glass cover to keep them fresh. There was also a teapot, placed on a warmer that kept its contents hot. A cup and a small note.

"Went out to take care of some things in the forest. Won't be long. Please, enjoy your breakfast. In case you decide not to wait, there are directions on the other side that will help you get back to Ponyville. Lumberjack." Rarity read the note while using magic to hold it in front of her. She turned it around and checked the directions. Once she was done, Rarity placed the note onto the table and surveyed the meal. The sandwiches looked delicious. Lumberjack had prepared several kinds of them. Some with vegetables, others with flowers and a couple of ones with jam. Blueberry from the looks of it. Rarity took a deep breath and felt the wonderful aroma of peppermint tea. She wanted to return home as quickly as she could. She even had directions in her possession. However, she also didn't want to leave just like that, without saying goodbye. That and she was hungry. The last thought made her stomach growl in an unladylike fashion as it voiced its lack of enthusiasm of abandoning all this food and making the long trip back with only those three sandwiches inside.

"Very well. I shall stay here for the breakfast. Perhaps he will return while I am eating." Rarity made her decision and, with a well-practices move, tossed her mane away from her eyes and headed towards the bathroom in order to freshen up. Sadly, as expected, her morning rituals were limited to bare basics, just enough to make herself presentable to the world.

Once it was taken care of, Rarity returned to the table and began eating. Unlike before, this time Rarity didn't wolf down her food like a savage. She made sure to retain her grace and class, taking small bites and savoring the taste. It did take her a lot longer to finish her breakfast, but Rarity was used to it. She always took the slow approach when it came to eating. It was much healthier and better for her body. Besides, it wasn't like she was in a hurry.

Just as Rarity finished the last sandwich, she heard something outside. Her ears perked up and swiveled towards the door behind her. Putting down her sandwich, Rarity turned around so she could see them as well. She could clearly hear hoofsteps approaching the door and a moment later, they opened, revealing Lumberjack, holding a basket of flowers in his mouth. He met her eyes with a smile and chuckled before putting the basket down. "Ah, good morning miss lady Rarity, the Most Amazing of Gem Hunters."

"I beg your pardon?" Rarity was caught off guard by Lumberjack's words. The gray stallion looked like he was about to burst from laughter if the quiet chuckling was of any indicator. It was plain to see that something, or somepony had amused him greatly. Rarity watched him pick up the basket and walk over to the table so he could place it on top of it. Once it was done, he looked at Rarity, his face still sporting that amused look. Noting her confusion, Lumberjack raised one hoof in front of him placatingly.

"Apologies. It's just that... Let me explain from the beginning. I went out to collect some Lightning Bloom flowers." Lumberjack nodded at the flowers in the basket. Rarity took a glance as well. The flowers didn't look special. They were dark gray with puffy petals, which reminded her of storm clouds. However, as she looked, she also spotted an occasional spark jump between the petals. "Lighting Bloom. Blossoms only after thunderstorms. Dry them and you can make an extremely delicious tea." Lumberjack explained after tracking her gaze. He then cleared his throat and continued.

"As I was saying, I went to gather some flowers. Didn't take long, an hour or so. At least, that was my intention when I left the house. Thing is, it all started exactly as planned. There is this nice place, where there's a lot of them. Once my basket was full, I was about to head back when I heard a commotion in the distance. I got curious and went to investigate. As it turned out it was a group of diamond dogs, standing around a white cart and arguing about something, while some of them were busy loading gems into the cart. I might have stumbled upon the location where that landslide had happened yesterday, since there was a huge pile of rocks and mud at the base of the cliff and a large part of the hill was missing. Turns out, it's actually pretty close. Anyway, I started to listen in, but it didn't last long, since they spotted me."

"A moment later, I was surrounded by the entire pack. For a while I was afraid of what they might do. From what I've heard, they don't like others intruding in their territory. Imagine my surprise when one of them asked me if I knew you. Obviously I said yes. I thought they were looking for you, so I offered to lead them here. However, they were having none of that. It was almost as if they were scared of meeting you. Then they asked me whether or not you would be returning for the cart. When I said that I didn't know, they practically grabbed me and tied me to the cart. They then demanded that, since I know you and where you are, I take the cart with me and deliver it to you. What surprised me the most was that they were begging me to do it. They were terrified when they mentioned you and were constantly coming up with all sorts of titles for you." Lumberjack shook his head in mild amusement. He shot her a suspicious glance. "I've never seen diamond dogs act like that. What did you do to them?"

Rarity couldn't hold back a short laugh, especially when she remembered that time when she had been captured by diamond dogs and how that day had ended. To think that after all this time, they would still be so afraid of her that they would... Rarity's laugh died down instantly when she recalled the inspiration, the gems, the entire reason of her trip. In a flash she jumped down from the chair and was staring in Lumberjack's eyes from just centimeters away. "The cart. I assume you did bring it back, right?" Lumberjack silently nodded, surprise and worry plain on his face. Almost immediately, Rarity felt the weight of the world drop off her back. She let out a heavy sigh of relief and stepped away from the gray stallion. The slightly manic look in her eyes disappearing without a trace.

"Thank you, Lumberjack. You cannot imagine how much it means to me. Without those gems, all of this would have been for nothing. My work would be ruined and I would never find peace. Thank you most sincerely." She said in a joyful voice and placed a hoof on her chest to still her beating heart.

Lumberjack studied her carefully for a while, confused by the sudden change of Rarity's mood. The look in her eyes when she heard about the gems was still fresh in his mind. When he was certain that it had been only a momentary thing, Lumberjack managed a weak smile. "You're welcome, miss Rarity. Though it's not like I had a choice, those diamond dogs were … adamant that I deliver you your cart. It's right outside, good to go the moment you... finish your breakfast." He trailed off when he saw that the plate was empty. It looked like he had arrived just in time.

Rarity traced his look. "As you can see, I am done eating. It was very delicious. Thank you for going out of your way to make me breakfast. Please, allow me to return a small part of the favor and take care of those dishes."

"That is not necessary."

"Lumberjack. I insist, I must repay your hospitality somehow." Rarity said and used her magic to gather all the dishes.

"I can't let you do that. You are a guest, Rarity." Lumberjack paused for a moment. "Umm, I mean, miss Rarity."

"Nonsense, darling. It would be rude not to clean up after myself. Oh, and just Rarity is fine." Rarity ignored Lumberjack's protests and moved towards the kitchen so she could wash the dishes. A small part of her mind noted that she had used the form of address she usually reserved for ponies she considered friends. However, after a brief thought, Rarity decided to include Lumberjack in that circle. She felt comfortable enough to consider him a friend. Not as close as her Ponyville friends, few ponies were that close, but he was certainly a lot closer than an acquaintance.

The kitchen, as expected, was very basic. An ice box with the stasis spell cast on it, to keep the food fresh, a sink, a small table, a wood burning stove and a few counters for the dishes. Nothing exotic. It a lot of ways it reminded her of Applejack's kitchen at Sweet Apple Acres. It was there to take care of the most basic needs with minimum fuss. In short, it was a working pony's kitchen. Perfect for somepony who spend most of the day working and didn't want to bother with the more complicated aspects of cooking. As a result, it took her barely a minute to wash, rinse and dry the dishes before Rarity placed them in a nearby counter.

"You see? All has been taken care of. No problem at all." Rarity said with a victorious smile and turned around to face Lumberjack. The stallion shook his head and admitted defeat.

"Well, I couldn't really stop you, so I guess there is no point in complaining, Rarity. Anyway, now that the breakfast has been taken care of, I assume that we are ready to head to Ponyville?" Lumberjack said and left the kitchen with Rarity following close behind. They made their way towards the doors and, after a brief pause while Lumberjack grabbed his saddlebags and put on a dark blue boonie hat, they went outside.

Rarity narrowed her eyes and covered them with her hoof when the sunlight almost blinded her. With raindrops covering most of the surfaces and small puddles dotting the ground, everything in her sight was shining as if covered with gems. She blinked a few times in order to adjust to the daylight sooner. Once the glittering reflections weren't causing tears to well up in her eyes, Rarity looked around and was momentarily stunned by the sight that greeted her.

Unlike last night when the forest was dark and dangerous, the morning sun turned it into something amazing. Bright rays shone down upon her, filling the glade with a warm and comfortable light. The forest, surrounding the cottage was like a giant wall. However, it was far from intimidating. Here and there in the distance, Rarity could see rays of light piercing the foliage, bathing the lower parts of the forest in their warmth. Raindrops glittered in these isles of light, filling the already rich palette of greens and browns with sparkles and revealing the colorful flowers covering the ground. Mesmerized by the sight, Rarity took a deep breath, savoring the fresh scent of the forest in the morning.

Most ponies believed that Rarity disliked nature. For the most part, they were right. Rarity despised nature, since it often had a nasty habit of getting on her hooves, or her coat, or in her mane. She also disliked bugs that seemed to make it a sport to surprise her with their presence when she last expected it. However, if all those factors were removed and Rarity was free to observe nature, rather than be in it, the white unicorn found some of its aspects rather enjoyable. The colors alone could serve as a source of inspiration whenever Rarity felt like designing a nature themed collection.

However, nature failed to keep Rarity's attention when she spotted a very familiar gleam in the corner of her eye. She couldn't hold back an amazed gasp when she saw her cart, filled to the breaking point with gems of all types and sizes. The amount of gems was more than twice of what she had collected. The diamond dogs had not only gathered up the gems she had collected, but also added a fair amount of their own. She never expected something like that from them. Not if that last time was of any indicator. "I … I am speechless. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine them doing something like this." Rarity muttered to herself as she walked over to the cart. She made a mental note that the next time she went on a gem collecting trip, she would mark some of the gem deposits and leave them untouched. A small way to repay the diamond dogs for the unexpected generosity.

"Yeah, they mentioned adding a few gems of their own." Lumberjack overheard Rarity's words and followed Rarity after he made sure the door was locked. "Ready to go?"

"Yes … yes, I am." Rarity replied, her mind still trying to get a hold of the situation.

"Excellent. Now, if you allow me." Lumberjack said and moved over to the front of the cart where the harness was located. It was a few sizes too small for him, but he managed to put it on regardless. He pulled the cart a bit, testing its weight and momentum, and then started moving. They made their way onto the main road and were soon on their way to Ponyville, with Lumberjack pulling the cart and Rarity walking right next to him. For a while they walked in complete silence.

Eventually, Rarity decided to break the silence and satisfy her curiosity. "So, Lumberjack, would you mind telling me about yourself? Where are you from?"

The gray stallion didn't reply immediately. He remained silent for a while as if composing his answer. "I am from Fillydelphia. I grew up there and, for the most of it, had an ordinary life. Went to school, got an occasional part time job here and there, you know, the usual. The only problem was my parents. You see, they were a bit different from others. They were very big on all sorts of mystical stuff. Prophecies, predictions, fortune telling, that sort of deal. They were so obsessed with it, that, when she was pregnant, my mother went to see a fortune teller who claimed she could predict my destiny. The fortune teller told my mother that my destiny revolved around working in the forest, cutting down trees. That's how I got my name before I was even born." Lumberjack made a short laugh.

"Unfortunately, I was something of a disappointment. I had little interest in trees and a lot of it in magic. Or rather history of magic. I wanted to know what magic really is, how it came to be and how it does the things it does. My parents were not happy. They were so focused on that stupid prediction that they wouldn't even consider that maybe it was a false one. Either way, they tried to pressure me into forestry, but I refused. Even when I got my cutie mark, which, as you can clearly see, has nothing to do with forestry, they didn't give up. Eventually, I got tired of it. I packed my things and left. That was the only way I could indulge my hobby and study magic. Ever since then I've been wondering around Equestria, collecting rare books, studying the history of ancient magic and so on. I came to this place around two months ago. Heard that there might be some lost books in the ancient castle ruins."

"I see. Interesting." Rarity said thoughtfully, as she mulled over what she had heard. His story was interesting, there was no doubt about that. However, it was also made up. At least parts of it were. Rarity had spent several parts of her life in order to develop a proper Fillydelphia accent to a level where it sounded like she'd been using it for her entire life. Lumberjack, despite his claims of spending most of his life in Fillydelphia, didn't have even a hint of the accent. In fact, he sounded like a Canterlot pony. The part about the prediction was somewhat believable, though she did notice the change in Lumberjack's tone when he had spoken about his family. It felt like there was a much bigger conflict underneath. As for the special talent... Rarity's eyes drifted towards Lumberjack's flank, where his cutie mark was located.

Lumberjack's cutie mark was that of a silver star, trailing streaks of colorful dust. The trail was a mixture of red, violet, green, blue, black and other colors that were similar to a nebula. Clearly, it was plain to see that whatever Lumberjack's special talent was, it had nothing to do with forestry. And while Rarity was far from an expert on deciphering the meaning of a cutie mark just from its appearance, it made more sense to tie it with magic and its history. Perhaps his talent was to reveal the stars of ancient knowledge from the dusty layers of history?

Meanwhile Lumberjack, completely oblivious to Rarity's musings, continued to speak. "I don't usually stay in one place for long. Three, four months maximum, before I move on. There is just so much hidden history to recover across Equestria."

"Why are you moving from one place to another so quickly? I don't know much about researching old knowledge, but from what I have learned from a dear friend of mine, such things require a lot of time and, apologies if I sound offensive, you do not seem like a pony who is in a hurry." Rarity noticed a hole in his argument. He also noticed him squirm a bit when he heard the question.

"Well, you see … It's complicated." Lumberjack gave her, arguably, the most frustrating answer there was. No answer was ever complicated. There were either things a pony wanted to hide or a lack of patience to explain a problematic situation to another pony and Rarity could clearly see that lack of patience was not the reason for Lumberjack's refusal. But then why hide it? What was so important about history that Lumberjack would hide? What is something personal? Something to do with his horn? Something else?

"You don't want to talk about it?"

"Yes, that is correct." Lumberjack took a deep breath and held it for a long time. Eventually he heaved a heavy sigh, muttered something that sounded like "terrible liar" and looked at Rarity with an apologetic look in his eyes. "Rarity, I understand that you want to know a few things about me, and that the answers I am providing are insufficient at best. I will also admit that not all details I told you about my past were true. Thing is, there is a reason I can't tell you that." He looked away from her and focused his gaze on the road ahead. "It is frustrating, I know, but I will risk sounding melodramatic and say that the less you know, the safer it will be for you and your friends."

"I think you are underestimating us, Lumberjack. I do not want to sound arrogant, but we have confronted many trials in our past and we have managed to overcome all of them." Rarity replied, feeling mildly offended by Lumberjack's implication that there was a threat she and her friends couldn't handle.

Lumberjack shook his head and smiled a reassuring smile. "You misunderstood me. I was not insinuating that you or your friends are helpless. Far from it. Considering the things you have done, underestimating you would be the height of folly. You and your friends are heroes. You all bear the Elements of Harmony, there is nothing in Equestria that could pose a threat to you. It is just that this is a problem I alone must fix. It is a personal quest I must undertake in order to atone for what I have done. A one pony crusade if you will."

The heartfelt explanation helped banish the unpleasant sensation, stemming from the assumption that Lumberjack was looking down on her. In fact, Rarity felt a warm feeling of satisfaction inside her when Lumberjack spoke about her achievements. It was so wonderful to be appreciated for a change. Especially since it was more or less a random pony expressing his gratitude. Despite the power Rarity and her friends could wield in order to protect Equestria, few ponies recognized them. Even fewer ponies actually bothered to say thanks. Sure, there was plenty of cheers and stomping during official events, but rarely was Rarity thanked for her efforts in her daily life. Then again, it wasn't like she walked around announcing her status as an Element Bearer for all to hear, such things were beneath her, but she had hoped that at least some ponies would bother to do some research. It sometimes felt that all the world saving business was something other ponies considered her daily job, not worth mentioning. Therefore, it was refreshing to hear her efforts being appreciated. Rarity could actually feel her steps become a tiny bit lighter as the warm feeling spread throughout her body. In some ways it was mildly surprising. A girl like Rarity was used to receiving compliments. In fact she savored them like fine wine. The surprising thing was the effect such a simple and direct compliment had on her. However, as Rarity immediately realized, there was a difference between the hollow, almost casually dispensed compliments in a high society event in Canterlot and a genuine one, expressed in the middle of a forest.

However, there was more to Lumberjack's words than a mere compliment. There was also his admission that he had a problem, but refused to involve others. Normally Rarity would do everything in her power to help out a fellow pony, even if she had to insist on helping out. It just wasn't in her nature to abandon a pony in need. This time it was different. There wasn't a hidden plea for help in his voice as it was with mos ponies when they refused help because they were too afraid or too shy to ask for it. Instead there was determination in his voice. A strongly held belief that this was indeed, as Lumberjack had put it, a one pony crusade, and as much as Rarity wanted to insist on offering her help, she understood that doing so would only result in a refusal. Therefore, Rarity decided to respect Lumberjack's decision and not pressure him into accepting her help. Of course, that did not mean she didn't want to know about it. The entire situation was very interesting and her curious nature was intrigued by it.

"Is it safe to assume that the problem is tied not only to all those books, but to your horn as well?" She asked, trying to voice her question as gently as possible as the painful expression on Lumberjack's face last night surfaces in her mind. As expected, Lumberjack took a deep breath before answering, an action that took place every time the conversation touched upon an unpleasant topic, Rarity noted.

"Yes, Rarity. That is correct." Lumberjack adjusted his hat, making sure the stump of his horn was covered. "Did a stupid thing, got punished and now I have to fix the mess I made."

"I am sorry to hear that." Rarity said, wondering whether or not Lumberjack was telling the truth. After he had admitted to hide some of the details about his past, Rarity had her doubts about the authenticity of his claims on what looked like a self-imposed journey of repentance. He could be very well telling her half-truths or even outright lies. Then again, Rarity was becoming familiar with his body language and, as far as she could tell it, Lumberjack was telling the truth. Rarity shook her head, all this speculating was becoming frustrating. She could already feel small hints of a headache forming, something she desperately wanted to avoid. In the end, Rarity decided to drop the issue and just let it be. Why worry about irregularities of somepony's past? If he was that determined to keep tings to himself, then Rarity saw no reason to be rude by pressuring him. "Perhaps a change of topic would be in order? How about that nice house of yours? You mentioned that you are planning to move somewhere else soon and that you generally travel a lot. What are you going to do with it? Sell it?"

Lumberjack heaved a relieved sigh as the conversation changed tracks and for once Rarity didn't hear any moments of silence or sudden gasps. The gray stallion shook his head in denial. "Nothing of the sort. I will be taking it with me. You see, it's not a real house. At least not in the traditional sense. Have you ever heard of Home Away From Home artifacts?" Lumberjack glanced at her, just in time to catch Rarity frown slightly as she searched her memory. "Truth is, they are rather rare. The one I have is a family heirloom, a gift from my grandmother. You see, the Home Away From Home artifact usually takes the form of a small version of the real thing. A model if you will. It makes it easy to carry around. When you decide that you need a place to stay, you place the model on the ground, tap it three times with the key and it immediately expands to a full-sized house. It comes fully furnished and even has running water as you already know. That is if you place the building on top of an underground stream, so there is one thing to keep in mind. Whenever I decide to move to somewhere else, I can use the key to shrink it so it easily fits into my saddlebags. Let's me avoid carrying around a large pile of various things and allows me to enjoy some benefits of civilization no matter where I am."

"That does sound like a useful thing for somepony who travels a lot. Especially if it allows you to bring along various necessities without having to worry about carrying them. I have a tent in my possession, which is very similar to your house. To some degree. It is magically enchanted to be more spacious than it might appear from the outside. I will admit, I do not use it often as I am not fond of camping, so it merely gathers dust most of the time. However, the few times when I had to spend a night in the wilderness, it has been invaluable in its ability to provide a comfortable semblance of civilization." Now that they were no longer talking about complicated matters, the mood became noticeably lighter, especially when Rarity realized that the forest was becoming familiar.

"That one looks familiar." She instantly recognized a small path they passed a few minutes later. It was leading off the main road and was the same one she usually took when going on her gem hunting trips. "We will be in Ponyville soon." Rarity added, feeling the weight of the world disappear from her shoulders as the thought settled in. Though she hadn't been thinking about it, there had been that small though, far away at the back of her mind that perhaps Lumberjack could not be trusted. After all, meeting a strange pony, who was unusually helpful and who also kept things hidden from her, was rather suspicious. Suspicious enough to make her think that maybe Lumberjack had a hidden agenda in regards to her. Something unpleasant. However, the sight of familiar surroundings as well as the forest becoming less dense, was a wonderful realization that, no matter what he had to hide, Lumberjack had kept his promise.

"Y-yeah … sounds good." The nervousness in Lumberjack's voice caused Rarity to turn her head towards him so fast, she almost sprained it. Rubbing a sore spot with her hoof, she noticed that Lumberjack's body was screaming nervousness to the world.

"Oh my goodness, is there something..." Rarity started to ask before recalling a few details from their conversation last night. "Ah, you mentioned you don't feel comfortable around other ponies, correct?" She watched him reply with a shallow nod. "Well, if it bothers you so much, we could part ways here. Ponyville is not far from here and it won't be a problem to pull that cart by myself for the rest of the road. You have been extremely helpful already, I would hate to ask more of you."

"NO!" Lumberjack slammed his hoof against the ground. Initially Rarity thought she had offended him in some ways, but when Lumberjack didn't say anything else and even increased his pace, the white unicorn realized that the response was mostly intended for himself, rather than her.

"Darling, please, you don't have to go that far on my account. I will not think badly of you for coming this far and turning away because you are afraid of crowds."

"No, Rarity." This time he was talking to her. "It's not that I am afraid of crowds. I'm just not used to them. It's not a big problem. Besides, I did promise I would help you get home. I mean, what kind of a pony would I be if I left a lady alone and broke my promise to escort her home?" He said with a somewhat forced smile.

Rarity answered his smile with a short laugh which seemed to drain all the nervousness from Lumberjack's eyes. "Oh, my. What a gentlecolt! I guess chivalry is still alive. Very well, mister Lumberjack, if you insist on keeping your promise and escort me all the way home, how can I refuse?"

"Precisely. I am a pony of my word." He replied with a genuine chuckle of his own just as they left the forest and the pleasant sight of Ponyville greeted them. Usually, when Rarity saw her home village, she felt glad. The familiar sight was like a soothing balm for her soul. This time, she was almost bouncing from joy. She was so happy, she nearly let out a joyful squeal. Fortunately, Rarity managed to control herself and settled to a mere smile. An unusually wide smile, but a smile nonetheless.

The short trip to the Carousel Boutique was an interesting one. Mostly because a lot of ponies gave her more than a single confused look. It wasn't everyday when one saw Rarity walk around with her mane completely straight and unstyled. At least when it wasn't raining. Not only that, but looking like that while accompanied by an unfamiliar stallion, who was pulling her cart of gems, was more than unusual. In some ways, it was almost unsettling. Perhaps there was something wrong with her?

Rarity noticed the strange looks she was receiving and did her best to ignore him. Yes, she knew that she didn't look like her usual self, but what was she supposed to do? Quietly sneak around, hoping nopony would notice her? That would be more humiliating than her current situation. Then again, it wasn't like she felt humiliated. An unstyled mane and a slightly unkempt? Yes. Humiliated? No. She merely looked different like her usual self. That was it. In an about an hour, she would look like she always did and that would be the end of it. There was no reason to look at her like that. Honestly, it is like they have never seen me like this. Aren't you overreacting a bit, my dear? Rarity thought when she caught sight of an earth pony staring in her direction as if she had grown another head. The purple mare seemed to be so shocked by Rarity's appearance that it looked like she was unable to keep her eyes on Rarity and was staring at Lumberjack who was right next to her.

Rarity made a quick check on Lumberjack and almost laughed. The stallion was putting up a brave show of trying to look like he didn't care about other ponies. Unfortunately, the stiffness in his posture, the focused sight and the constantly moving ears told Rarity that his mind was full of thoughts about the ponies looking at him and Rarity. His stiff appearance made him look more like an automaton than an actual pony, forcing Rarity to look away before she started laughing. She knew it wasn't right, because Lumberjack was doing it for her, however, it looked so funny it was almost impossible to resist. Perhaps that's why they were getting so many strange looks?

"Ah, there we are. Home sweet home." Rarity said moments later when they reached Carousel Boutique. "You can leave the cart over there." She pointed at a spot near the door. Lumberjack nodded and moved over to the indicated location, where he removed the harness from his back. He was about to start unloading the cart when Rarity stopped him with a raised hoof. "That will not be necessary. I will sort them out later myself. Why don't you come inside for a cup of tea while I figure out how to repay you." Rarity opened the door and walked inside. She stopped, however, when she didn't hear Lumberjack following her. The white mare turned around and saw that Lumberjack hadn't moved from his spot near the cart.

"I appreciate the offer, Rarity, but that will not be necessary. You don't have to repay me."

"But I can't let you leave just like that. You did so much for me. I have to repay you somehow." Rarity tried to convince him, but once again, the look in his eyes convinced her that it would be a wasted effort.

"There is no need for it. Really. I did all those things because it was the right thing to do." He gave her a warm, reassuring smile. "A simple thank you will be more than adequate. Though is that is not enough, I would like to ask you to forget everything that happened."

Rarity shook her head in defeat and smiled back at him. "You really won't let me pay you back, won't you? Oh well, as much as I would like to do something, I understand. In any case, thank you Lumberjack for all the help. I truly appreciate that. And if, by any chance, you are in Ponyville again, perhaps after you have taken care of your crusade, please, do come by. Maybe then we can arrange something."

"Maybe I will do that." Lumberjack replied and started walking away, back towards the forest. "Anyway, I bid you farewell, Rarity. It was wonderful to meet you."

"Good bye, Lumberjack. Best of luck to you." Rarity said and watched him leave. "Unfortunately I will not be able to grant your request." She muttered quietly a moment later as she closed the door. A strange, yet very helpful and kind unicorn with a broken horn, living in the middle of the forest, far away from other ponies, obsessed with magic and history, determined to accomplish a personal task. "It is impossible to forget something like that."


	3. Unpleasant Visitors

"A broken horn... That is pretty strange. And he didn't say how it happened?" Twilight said and slowly stretched out her wings. She groaned quietly when the sore feeling increased threefold.

"No, he said it was a personal issue and he didn't want to talk about it." Rarity watched her friend spread out and fold her wings several times in an obvious attempt to make them feel better. "That did not stop me from wondering about what happened to him. As far as I know, our horns do not break easily."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "You're right. They are durable. Obviously, there are limits to that durability, but in most cases it takes a lot to break one. And even if it does happen, they grow back rather quickly. Though it looks like Lumberjack is an exception, since you said it has been several years after that horn was broken."

"Just an assumption, my dear. He didn't mention anything about how much time has passed. I merely made a guess. I could be wrong." Rarity replied and gave Spike a warm smile when he offered to refill her glass of iced tea. The purple dragon returned the smile with a blush before proceeding to refill other glasses as well. The whole group of close friends were enjoying a peaceful picnic in Ponyville's park. Though, in truth, calling it a picnic wasn't entirely accurate. It was more like a training session with an audience, where Rainbow Dash was working Twilight to the bone while others got to observe it in peace and comfort.

Three days had passed since Rarity had returned from the forest. Almost immediately she had started working on bringing her appearance back up to her usual standards. A long bath, coupled with a pair of refreshing spa sessions, as well as a quick trip to the clinic, had done wonders in making her feel better. Not only that, but she had managed to finish her dress as well. Therefore, with all of her immediate problems taken care of, Rarity was more than able to attend the picnic Pinkie Pie had put together so that all of them could enjoy a pleasant afternoon after Twilight's flying lessons were over. And it was during the picnic that Rarity had told them about the recent incident.

Unsurprisingly, her friends had reacted to the news in various ways. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had more or less shrugged at the whole story, Fluttershy had been concerned about Rarity and later Lumberjack, Pinkie Pie had nearly darted off into the forest in order to befriend the new pony, prevented from doing so only by Rarity's explanation that Lumberjack was very uncomfortable around others and was about to leave anyway. Twilight had expressed interest about Lumberjack's horn and his obsession with history.

"I see. Well, in either case, this is very interesting. I ought to look into this and figure out what is wrong with his horn. I think some late evening research will turn up some results." Twilight took a large gulp from her glass and started coughing when she swallowed it too quickly.

"Whoa! What do you mean, late evening research?" Rainbow Dash perked up from her corner of the picnic blanket where she and Applejack had been discussing potential plans for the upcoming Nightmare Night festival, which was supposed to take place tomorrow. "You don't have time for that. We've got training this evening, remember? You need the exercise in order to get your stamina up. Lots of exercise."

Twilight shot the cyan pegasus a dark look, every part of her body groaning in desperation. "More? I thought we were done for today. I already feel exhausted."

"And that is why we need to work on your stamina. You lack endurance, Twilight. Every single time we train, we have to take numerous breaks for you to recover. That is inefficient. You will never become a good flier at this rate." Rainbow Dash replied a bit more harshly as intended as she subconsciously mimicked her flight instructors at the Wonderbolt Academy. "You might as well give up your wings."

"Hey! I can fly! I flew at my crowning ceremony last month!" Twilight snapped back. Intellectually she knew that Rainbow Dash was right. However, she didn't enjoy having her lack of progress pointed out like that. No pony did. "And I do have endurance. Need I remind you about that time when I beat you at the Running of the Leaves Race? I know how to pace myself. That, and I have read plenty of books about flying."

"Yes, you did fly. But there is a difference between flying and flying good. That and you started flying in the worst possible way … a running start." Rainbow Dash shivered in disgust. "No self-respecting pegasus performs a running start. It's just so sad to watch. I mean, even Fluttershy here doesn't do running starts." She gestured at Fluttershy who gave a tiny, apologetic smile to Twilight. Rainbow Dash was about to say more, but then she saw the look on Twilight's face and sighed. "Look, Twilight. I know this sounds harsh, but that's just how it is. Flying is not something you master just by reading a few books. In fact, all those books you showed me are wrong for you. They are written for pegasi by pegasi, with the assumption that you already have the basics down, which you don't. You will just mess up all the work we have done. Flying is only ten percent reading and ninety percent, well … flying. Theory only gets you so far." Rainbow Dash ignored the surprised looks everypony was giving her as they had never seen Rainbow go into lecture mode.

"As for that race, yes, you might have won, due to an oversight on my part, but that that doesn't mean anything. Pacing only gets you so far. Once you're up and have to fly for prolonged periods of time, you have to keep working with your wings, non-stop. You can't slow down or pause for a short rest in midair. And landing won't help as well, since you'll have to waste time to regain your altitude. Not to mention that there might not be a suitable place to land."

Applejack cleared her throat in order to interrupt the cyan pegasus. "I think you're overdoin' it a little. We're here to encourage and help Twilight to fly, not ground her permanently."

Rainbow Dash fell silent for a moment as she considered Applejack's words. When she spoke up again, her voice had a slight touch of softness to it. "I guess you're right. I just got carried away. Thing is, it's hard to explain and especially teach the basics of flying. Most pegasi know how to fly mere hours after they're born. It is instinctual. All those flight camps back up in Cloudsdale merely teach you how to fly better, because every pegasus knows how to fly. There are no flightless pegasi. Telling somepony how to fly is like explaining how to use your eyes." She took a deep breath and a large sip from her glass. "That is what we're doing in all these exercises. Yes, you do know how to fly, it's just that I want you to have the very best foundation upon which to build the remaining skills. You've made good progress so far and you're a good student. It's just that I would love to see you become a good flier not a "good enough" one."

"Thank you, Rainbow. You know, I didn't know you were so concerned about..."

"That and I do have a reputation to maintain. After all, I can't be seen together with ponies who can barely fly." Rainbow suddenly spoke up with a cocky grin, cutting Twilight off and earning a series of laughs from everypony else while Twilight shook her head. "Just make sure to exercise like I told you to. It's not that hard and you'll start noticing results very soon. I did those exercises myself in order to regain my form after I had to spend that month in Fluttershy's..." Rainbow's voice died down with a choke, a look of terror frozen on her face as her mind caught up to what she had said. The merry mood disappeared instantly, giving way for eerie silence as they all shared horrified looks with each other, pained expressions on their faces as relatively fresh scars were ripped open again. "Sorry … I didn't … sorry." Rainbow hung her head and whispered in a silent voice.

Fluttershy, fighting down an unpleasant shiver, immediately moved to give the cyan pegsus a warm, comforting hug. "We know … we know." She said quietly while tightening the hug, which Rainbow Dash returned. Usually the athletic mare wasn't one for displaying her soft side in public, but this time it was different. This time it was serious. An uncomfortable silence settled between them.

"Umm, Pinkie Pie? What's this?" Spike spoke up suddenly, when the silence had grown almost unbearable, his voice a mixture of genuine curiosity and forced nonchalance. He was holding up what looked like a piece of glass. Something he had found in the small bowl of candy.

"Oh, that? That's a Glass Shard."

"Glass?" And just like that, the discomfort was gone, replaced by confusion as all ponies stared at Pinkie and Spike, as well as the object the purple dragon was holding in his claw. Spike raised it up for a closer inspection. "Why is there glass in the candy bowl?"

"No, no, no. It's not glass, it's a Glass Shard. Me and Bon Bon made a small experiment. She is very good at making candy. With her experience and my advice, we tried to create candy that would never melt. Sweetness that would last forever and ever, and ever. The special prize for the best candy hunter on Nightmare Night, which I am bound to win. However, something didn't go as expected and the end result was the Glass Shard. Candy that doesn't melt. It also can't be broken, cut, smashed, crushed, dissolved, tasted, smelled, affected by magic, destroyed or even damaged in ay way." She leaned in and poked the candy angrily with her hoof. "It is indestructible. And tasteless as well. I decided to throw them out eventually. However, it seems that one of these things has ended up among the other candy."

Spike eyed the mysterious candy with a hungry look in his eyes. In a way, the candy looked a lot like a gem. A crystal clear, colorless gem. Innocent and pure in every shape. Before anypony could say anything, Spike opened his mouth and bit down on the candy. Much to his surprise, his teeth stopped cold the moment they encountered the surface. For the very first time in his life, there was something he couldn't chew. He strained his jaw, which was powerful enough to bite through the hardest gems in existence like they were nothing more than a crunchy apple, but to no avail. He tried it again, but it only resulted in him nearly biting off his own tongue when his teeth slipped on the smooth surface of the candy and slammed shut.

Everypony studied him with curiosity plain on their faces as Spike slowly opened his mouth and fished out the piece of candy, which wasn't sporting even a single scratch. "Soooooo, looks like even a dragon can't do anything to it." Pinkie tilted her head slightly and chuckled. "I guess you could call it the ultimate hard candy." Her chuckles became louder when Spike tossed the indestructible piece of candy aside and emptied the entire candy bowl in his mouth, shrugging off the few glares with a sheepish look on his face as he ate the more conventional pieces of candy.

"Ahem … I … Twilight. About Nightmare Night. Will Princess Luna also grace us with her presence? She seemed to enjoy the festival last year and I was hoping she would come to Ponyville again." Rarity spoke up in order to steer the conversation further away from the unpleasant memories. Spike's attempt to distract them had been brilliant, but, unless they continued talking, memories would surface again. "It would make the celebration all that greater."

It's all my fault! Twilight shook her head to rid herself of the still lingering thought. "No, Rarity, unfortunately Luna won't be able to make it. As you know … Celestia, has left Canterlot in order to deal with some sort of an issue South of Baltimare, which means that Luna has been very busy these last two weeks. She is simply too busy to attend. She does send us her greetings and she also promised a little surprise for the festival."

"What kind of a surprise? Will it be a scary surprise? Or will it be a nice one? Oh, I just love surprises! I can't wait to find out what it is." Pinkie couldn't hold in her excitement when she heard Twilight's words. "Do you know anything about it? Anything at all? Perhaps a hint? Or a small clue as to what might happen? No! Wait! Don't tell me! It won't be a surprise anymore! Or, you could tell me, and I could pretend to act surprised! Perhaps I could even prepare a very good response! No, no, no. That won't do. Luna will know that I'm not surprised for real and that will make ruin the festival fer her, and that will ruin the festival for me as well. Perhaps it will even ruin the festival for all the ponies in Ponyville. And if Ponyville is sad, then there is the chance of the entire Equestria becoming sad as well. No, Twilight! You absolutely must not tell me anything about the secret! Not even a single word! Not even a half of a single word. Not even..."

"Pinkie, don't worry. I don't know anything about the surprise either." Twilight cut off the rambling pony before Pinkie's speculations could go way out of hoof. "There is nothing for you to worry about. Just focus on enjoying the Nightmare Night and everything will be fine."

"Yeah and I'm sure you'll forget about it anyway. There will be all sorts of other things for everypony to enjoy." Applejack added in a reassuring voice. That seemed to put Pinkie's concerns to rest, though she still shot an occasional concerned glance in Twilight's direction now and then.

"That reminds me, Fluttershy, what about you? Will you be joining us this year?" Rarity gave an encouraging smile to the light yellow pegasus. "You have been spending the festival hiding in your cottage every time. Don't you think it's time to give it a chance?"

Fluttershy merely shook her head in refusal. "I'm sorry, Rarity, but I just can't do it. All those costumes everypony wears are just too scary. I know they are supposed to be just for fun, but they are too much for me. They look like the real thing." She sighed quietly. "I appreciate the offer, but I will be spending Nightmare Night in my cottage."

"I, on the other hoof, have no intention of doing that. My new costume is ready and I am determined to enjoy the night to its fullest." Rainbow announced proudly, something which drew knowing smiles from Applejack, Rarity and Twilight. "What?" Rainbow noticed their grins.

The three mares shared a quick look amongst themselves before Applejack decided to speak up. "You sure it's all about the festival, sugarcube? Because some of us have heard some interestin' things. For example, a certain long time Wonderbolt is comin' to Ponyville tomorrow."

"Ah, I think I know the stallion you're talking about, darling. Good flier, athletic build, looks absolutely dashing in his flight suit."

"Goes by the name of Soarin, if I'm not mistaken." Twilight continued from where Rarity left, a wide grin plastered on her face as she watched the most adorable blush creep up Rainbow's face.

Rainbow Dash glared at them, but the look didn't have any anger in it. She merely sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "Okay, yes, so I am excited about Soarin coming to Ponyville so we could spend some time together. I fail to see what the big deal is."

Rarity covered her mouth with her hooves in order to hide her gasp. "Rainbow, darling, we were just teasing you a little. We were not poking fun at you for your relationship with him. We are happy for you. It is wonderful to know that you have found a pony who is close to your heart."

"Rarity is right, Rainbow. It is a wonderful thing to hear. Perhaps you could introduce us to him? I would love to meet the stallion who managed to … tame the wild Rainbow Dash!" Twilight needled her friend, enjoying one of the rare chances to do so.

_Tame? … Oh, so you want to play it that way, huh? Fine, I can do that._ Rainbow's glare turned contemplative for a moment, before a grin, just as wide as Twilight's settled on her face. "Heh, I guess you're right about that. Soarin is definitely a cut above the rest. After all, I am not interested in average stallions. Certainly not enough to let them take some degree of control over my life. Soarin's special like that. Unfortunately, I doubt there will be time for introductions. You see, we don't get that many chances to be together. Plenty of responsibilities for both of us. Therefore, whenever we do get the chance, we tend to … catch up on lots of things. And it's funny you mention him taming me. He is very good at that. Like that one time when he tied wings so I couldn't use them, pinned me to the ground, grabbed my mane with his teeth and then rammed his..."

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight hissed through her teeth, flicking her eyes at Spike and back. Meanwhile Rainbow was sporting a smug grin on her face as she took in her friends' reactions. Pinkie was giggling quietly, while Applejack settled for merely rolling her eyes. Rarity had an understanding smile on her lips, while Twilight was blushing like crazy. Strangely, Fluttershy had a dreamy look on her face.

Spike, however, looked very confused, his gaze traveling from one mare to another. "Umm, huh? Is there something I've missed?"

"No! You're not missing anything. Everything is perfectly fine and completely normal. We are having a completely normal conversation, without any age inappropriate content, thus suited for everypony nearby, thus making it age appropriate. It is not polluted in any way, shape or form." Twilight quickly replied while maintaining her gaze with Rainbow Dash.

"Polluted?" Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at the lavender alicorn. She was about to say more, but with Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy breaking out in laughter, the intention died down.

"Heh, you two are so funny whenever you spend some time together. Just a few sentences and it's entertainment guaranteed." Applejack chuckled as she slowly stood up and stretched herself. "Unfortunately, I got to go. There's plenty of things to take care of at the farm in order to prepare for the festival. Wouldn't want to let Ponyville down."

Almost immediately, Pinkie shot up to her hooves with a determined and at the same time, cheerful look on her face. "Oh, oh. I'll go with you. Can't let you do all those super-duper preparations alone."

"I appreciate the offer, but there's really no need. I can take care of them myself..." Applejack's voice trailed off when Pinkie gave her the pleading eyes look. "Oh, okay. If you really want to, I'll let you help. It would be a darn shame to turn down a helping hoof. Besides, Apple Bloom will be happy to see you."

"Please, don't mind us, there's not much to pack. I will take care of it in a flash. You don't have to stay and help." Rarity urged them when she saw the questioning look on their faces. Concerns alleviated, Applejack gave Rarity a brief nod and set off with Pinkie accompanying her with her usual bounce.

"Yeah, um, I got to go as well. Soarin's coming tomorrow so I have to make preparations, such as..."

"Rainbow." Twilight warned the pegasus, not liking that small grin on her face.

"Such as cleaning my house, you perv." Rainbow chuckled briefly and took off. "Just don't forget about the evening's exercise. I'll come get you so I can make sure you don't skip it."

Twilight watched her leave and shook her head. "What have I gotten myself into..." She muttered and proceeded to help Rarity, Fluttershy and Spike gather up the plates. It didn't take long, especially when magic was involved. Just a few moments and everything was placed neatly inside the basket, while the blanket, folded by Rarity, rested on top of it. One it was done, they all parted ways. Rarity and Fluttershy were heading to the spa center for their weekly session, while Twilight and Spike walked back to the library, where Twilight was determined to do a little research on unicorn horns.

xxxx

"Tell me you're not thinking about what happened at the picnic, Twilight." Spike spoke up after they had left the park and were walking down the street.

Twilight spared him a confused look before realization struck. "What? Oh … that. No. I wasn't. I was thinking about that unicorn Rarity met. I'm curious about what happened to his horn."

"What a relief." Spike let out a breath that felt like it was taking off an immense weight from his shoulders. "I was worried that you were still blaming yourself for... well, you know."

"I wasn't thinking about that. However, my thoughts remain unchanged. What happened to our friends was all my fault. I never should have cast that … thing. It was irresponsible of me to do so without any precautions. I did something stupid and my friends paid the price."

Smooth move. Spike mentally kicked himself. He should have known better than to bring up that spell. It summoned all sorts of unpleasant memories. Not just for Twilight, but for everypony else. Just like Rainbow's verbal blunder had shown, the scars were still there, buried beneath the surface as they tried to move on with their lives. However, stupid move or not, he couldn't let Twilight continue to blame herself for causing it. "But Twilight..."

"Spike! Don't try to make me feel better. I know what I did and there is no sugarcoating it. No matter how you look at it, I am responsible for what they had to go through. You were there with me, you saw the whole thing. Every last part of it. And no matter how much I would love to pretend that everything is in the past, we know the truth. We saw it today. The memories are still fresh, even though they're doing their best to hide it. Nothing is over." Twilight's voice became exasperated as she unknowingly increased her pace.

Next to her, Spike rolled his eyes in frustration. It was the same thing all over again. No matter how much he tried to reason with her and point out the flaw in Twilight's opinion, all of his attempts were met with failure. Always. Twilight was dead set on blaming herself for the mess she had unknowingly created when Princess Celestia had sent her that test in the form of an unfinished spell. "Fine. Whatever. Forget I said anything." He said with a tired sigh.

"Spike?" Twilight stopped and turned around. The annoyance in Spike's words was impossible to miss.

"Nothing. I am just tired of all this. Your blame game, that is. Even though you won't admit it loudly, we both know the truth. It was not your fault. Despite that you are hurting yourself more than anypony else. You have cut off all contact with Princess Celestia for a month now and you still haven't told our friends that the entire Cutie Mark spell was just a test." He replied pitifully, staring into Twilight's violet eyes and sounding many years older than he actually was. "It is painful to watch. Why can't you tell them the truth?"

Twilight looked back at him in silence for a long time before sitting down on her haunches and hanging down her head, as if ashamed to look him in the eyes. "You know very well why I can't do that. You were there in Canterlot and you also saw what happened when I returned to Ponyville. You know how much both Princess Celestia and my friends mean to me … That is the reason why I can't bring myself to talk to Celestia or tell the truth to my friends … I am just not strong enough to do that. I don't want to hurt them any more than I already have. And if I have to suffer for my indecisiveness, then that's for the best." Twilight lifted up her head. "Please understand."

Spike slowly rubbed his forehead and sighed. "So it's fear that's bothering you, huh? You're afraid to cause more damage... You could have just said so before … I understand. Sort of. Though you'll still have to reveal the truth eventually. It's not something you can keep to yourself forever."

"I know, Spike. I know. But not right now. Not when things are so fragile." Twilight managed a weak smile and released Spike. "Thanks."

"Yeah, don't mention it. There is one thing though. I know how much you can get worked up about these things. I know that there are times when the pressure can make you … crack." He held up his claw in order to forestall Twilight's objections. "My point is, while I will play along with your idea, I will also be keeping my eye on you, Twilight. The moment I see that things are too much for you to handle, I will... what was the term … pull the plug on the entire thing and tell your friends everything. I don't know what will happen, most likely it will be ugly, perhaps it will even cause permanent damage in some form, but that is a risk I am willing to take. You are the only family I have and I will not allow this wound to fester into something worse than it already is."

A thousand replies exploded into Twilight's mind as she mulled over what Spike had just said. There were reassurances in her mind that told her that nothing like that would ever happen, beliefs that she would be able to keep herself together, hope that Spike was bluffing and even a few angry replies that Spike shouldn't be sticking his nose where it didn't belong. In the end, Twilight settled for a quiet nod. Spike was only looking out for her. He was worried. Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't given her a fair chance to solve things at her own pace. "Very well. I will keep that in mind."

"Excellent. For a moment I was worried that you would overreact again and start to protest. Nopony likes it when others give them such an ultimatum. I know I don't. But as we both know, this is not your usual situation. This is critical." Spike's face brightened up and he started walking down the street, taking the lead. "C'mon, let's go to the market before we head back to the library. We're running low on carrots and onions. Knowing you, you'll probably start doing research on that horn thing the moment we get back, so I would prefer if we took care of the shopping right now, so I don't have to carry everything myself."

"Good idea, Spike." Twilight replied and followed him to the town's market square. "Just one thing, I don't overreact."

xxxx

Rarity was a happy pony. The lightness in her step, the dazzling radiance of her coat, the rejuvenating sensation all over her body, she felt absolutely divine. Going to the spa for the second time in a week had allowed her to discover a level of serenity and relaxation she hadn't been previously aware of. Aloe and Lotus Blossom were truly masters of their craft. A small part of her wondered perhaps she could make her spa visits a bi-weekly thing. However, after a moment's consideration, Rarity decided against it. Too much of a good thing was bad. Besides, as much as Rarity loved to visit the spa, it wasn't that enjoyable when she went by herself. Fluttershy made for a very enjoyable company, but a single trip per week was most the animal caretaker could afford. She was far too busy for that.

Decision made, Rarity opened the front door of the Carousel Boutique and went inside. "Sweetie Belle, I have returned. I will start working on dinner in half an hour, so please let me know if you are hungry." Rarity said just loud enough to be heard as she moved the grocery basket to the kitchen. After her visit to the spa, Rarity had made a short trip to the market in order to pick up a few things to eat.

"Sweetie Belle?" Rarity placed the basket on a nearby counter, next to the picnic basket she had dropped off earlier and perked up her ears, listening for a reply. There was none. In fact, it seemed that Sweetie Belle wasn't even home. Not that it was anything unusual, but after the worried greeting Rarity had received after returning home from the forest, she had half-expected her little sister to spend more time at home for a while. Apparently, Rarity was wrong. Her sister's attention span was just too short for something like that. Most likely she was together with her friends doing their best to earn their Cutie Marks.

Shrugging, Rarity quickly emptied the grocery basket and then followed up with the picnic basket, stacking the dishes into the sink and putting away the leftovers. As for the blanket itself, Rarity decided to take it to the laundry room. On her way there, she passed a ponnequin, upon which her latest masterpiece was displayed. She gave it a quick check, smiling fondly at the sight before her and moved on, sneaking a few glances as she went.

Rarity was proud of her work. The dress was, to put it simply, amazing. She had done it, despite the unfortunate experience. There was just one problem with it. She didn't know what to do with it. She didn't have any special orders at the moment and neither was she expecting a visit from her usual customers. Rarity supposed she could wear it herself, the dress would certainly look good on her, but there wasn't a single event, important enough for the dress, in the near future. Nightmare Night was not even slightly suited for it, the Hearth's Warming Eve was in the winter, when it was too cold. She could wear it to the Grand Galloping Gala, but after that last fiasco, Rarity had no desire to attend the event in the foreseeable future. _Oh well, I guess I will just have to wait for the opportunity. One always comes along._ Rarity shrugged and put her mind at ease.

Just as she was placing the picnic blanket in the laundry basket, Rarity heard the front doors of her workshop open and close a moment later. Initially, she thought it was Sweetie Belle, but the sounds of two stallion voices convinced her otherwise._ Customers? But I thought I left the "closed" sign up. Hmm... must have forgotten to do that._ Rarity frowned a little and made her way towards the main work room where she could greet the customers.

Two stallions were standing in the middle of the room and observing the various designs around them. One was a beige pegasus with a very short white mane, while the other one was a copper brown earth pony with a spiky sky blue mane. The earth pony was also sporting an olive green trench coat, which made him look like a detective, just like ones in some romance novels Rarity loved to read. Both of them instantly heard the sound of her hoofsteps and turned to face her. In response, Rarity put on her usual welcoming smile. "Greetings, my name is Rarity and welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is is chic, uni..."

"Save it, lady. We're not here for your rags." The pegasus interrupted her while nodding at the ponnequin with Rarity's recent masterpiece. "We're here for a much different purpose. One that actually matters."

Rarity's smile turned a few millimeters narrower. On the outside, that was the only reaction she had for the insult. Inwardly, she gritted her teeth in anger. "And what purpose would be that?" She addressed the earth pony, hoping that he would be the civilized one of the two.

Much to her relief, her hopes were fulfilled, the earth pony gave the pegasus a tired look and heaved a heavy sight. "My name is Persistent Tracker and this is Storm Chaser. We are from Section 9. Our organization is tasked with hunting down and capturing extremely dangerous criminals."

"I see." Rarity frowned in mild confusion. Initially she wondered what did these two ponies wanted from her. However, as she gave it some thought, Rarity had a feeling she knew what the visit was about.

"Don't worry, we are not here for you." Persistent Tracker misinterpreted her frown. "We are here because there have been reports that a very dangerous criminal has been sighted in Ponyville. Not only that, but you have been spotted in his company."

"A criminal in Ponyville? That is quite unusual. We rarely have ponies breaking any laws here and even then those are very minor offenses."

The beige pegasus let out a derisive snort and shook his head. "Figures. You small town yokels have been living under Celestia's teats safe and sound. You have absolutely no fucking idea what a cesspit the outside world is."

Rarity ignored Storm Chaser. The presence of the vulgar pegasus wasn't worth acknowledging. It was beneath her. Unfortunately, it seemed that Persistent Tracker had a similar mindset. "Well, as my colleague said, Ponyville doesn't see any of the serious criminals due to its location … Anyway, this is the pony we are looking for." He reached into his coat and fished out a small photo. When Rarity saw the image, she nearly let out a gasp. The pony in the picture was definitely Lumberjack. The gray coat and that dark blue mane were exactly the same. The only difference was that he seemed to be a bit younger and he still had his horn. "His name is Stardust. Though he often uses a fake name like Lumberjack, Average Joe or Glitter Hooves. He is wanted for several accounts of murder, sexual assault, extortion, theft and several other major offenses. He is mentally unstable and extremely dangerous."

"Yeah. Killed more than thirty ponies from Manehattan to Fillydelphia. All of them mares. Raped them and then cut them to pieces. Or killed them and raped them afterward. He's one sick fuck who will attack you the moment he sets his eyes on you." Storm Chaser added with a dark smirk. He stepped closer to Rarity and continued in a low voice. "You don't want that to happen to you, don't you? You don't want him to break into this place, beat you up, bend you over that table over there and then fuck you until you scream and moan like a whorish mare in heat before he slits your throat, right?"

Rarity couldn't suppress a shiver. The way Storm Chaser had said all those nasty things, made it sound like he was threatening to do all that if she didn't cooperate. Still doing her best to ignore the pegasus, Rarity stared at the photo, considering the words she had just heard. It didn't feel right. It didn't sound like the Lumberjack she knew. Granted, she had know him only for a single night, but she had seen his eyes, his face, his entire posture when he was talking to her. He didn't feel like an insane killer. A pony with a few secrets, sure, but not the merciless killer these two detectives claimed him to be. Upon further reflection, Rarity realized that she had spent the night in his house where she had been dead tired, exhausted and unable to use magic, yet Lumberjack hadn't done anything. He had been helpful to the point of selflessness. Perhaps he was very good at hiding his true intentions? Or maybe there was something else going on?

"Yes, I did meet him a few days ago, but he didn't strike me as an insane killer. Quite the opposite, he was friendly and very helpful." Rarity slowly replied as she recalled the time she spent with Lumberjack. "Yes, he was definitely friendly."

Unfortunately Storm Chaser wasn't satisfied with the answer. He leaned in, invading Rarity's personal space until his face was just centimeters from hers and yelled. "Didn't you hear what we said, ya dumb bitch!? Stardust is a fucking monster who should be put down like an animal he is. So, tell us all you know about him, unless you want him to fuck you up." His voice trailed off and a genuinely sickening grin settled on his face. "Hell... you know, I bet you want him to rape you. You're probably one of those ponies who gets off from that. If that's the case and you really want that to happen to you, then think about your friends. I think you don't want that to happen to them." The pegasus finished, accentuating his words by poking Rarity's chest with his hoof.

Rarity glared down at the hoof, her self defense instincts flaring. "I think..." _I could dislocate that hoof in three different ways._ "... that you should leave this place, sir. Your intimidation tactics are cheap, uncouth, and quite frankly I find them extremely offensive. I am a lady and I would prefer to be treated as such. And if you think that I am concerned about the potential consequences for refusing to assist in your investigation, you are sadly mistaken. You are free to take this issue to your superiors, all the way up to the Princesses if you have to, however, considering the circumstances, I am confident they will see the reasons for my refusal as thoroughly justified." Rarity forced herself to remain calm and collected. She had no desire to stoop down to Storm Chaser's level or let him provoke an unladylike reaction from her.

"What did you say?" Storm Chaser growled through gritted teeth.

"Storm Chaser, outside." Persistent Tracker said in a tired voice while giving Rarity an apologetic look. "I said, go outside! Your presence is only making things worse." He repeated when Storm Chaser glared at him. Both ponies stared at each other for a few seconds before the pegasus backed down and stomped towards the exit. He gave Rarity a meaningful glare before slamming the doors.

Rarity didn't look away from him, even as he left the building. She kept staring at the doors for a few more seconds, silently seething in anger at the stallion's uncouth behavior. He had done an excellent job at ruining her mood. She was about to turn her attention to Persistent Tracker when she noticed a small detail. The sign on the door. Words "open" could be clearly seen on it. This mean that she hadn't forgotten to flip the sign in order to let everypony know that the workshop was closed. Something that hadn't bothered these two at all. They had barged in without a single care or respect for her privacy. Usually it wouldn't bother her that much. Rarity had a lot of customers who had arrived at off-business hours. But at least they made an effort to warn her in time. Not this time. Not these two. And while their urgency was a good reason for breaking the rules, their words and actions were not. One did not barge into a pony's home and start harassing them.

"I apologize for his actions. Storm Chaser is a decent pony, but he tends to get carried away. We have been on this case for a long time now and it has hit him rather hard. It is not often we get cases like this one." Persistent Tracker rubbed the side of his head and sat down.

"The severity of the case is irrelevant. There is a limit to how rude you can be and your colleague broke them the moment he opened his mouth. If this is how you usually operate, I am starting to doubt your competence in the matter."

"Hey, I said I was sorry, okay! No need to rub it in." Persistent Tracker retorted in a flash of annoyance. He took a few breaths to calm down. "Look. Just tell me what you know about Stardust and I'll be out of your mane in a flash. Any little thing can help."

Rarity considered refusing the request as a way to get back at the impolite ponies, but she decided otherwise, despite her anger. She could hardly claim the moral high ground if she let anger cloud her decision. "There is not much to tell. I was out on a trip for gems and met him in the forest. He asked me for directions to Ponyville and I agreed to show him the way. That is it." Okay, perhaps she was letting her anger influence her a little bit.

Persistent Tracker frowned in disappointment when he heard the response. "That's it? I was expecting a lot more information. Where is he hiding? Why is he here? What are his plans? Does he have any collaborators in Ponyville?"

"I do not know an answer to any of those questions. I merely met him in the forest and he accompanied me to the town. We parted ways afterwards and I haven't seen him since." Rarity said, knowing full well that she was leaving some details unsaid. She knew where Lumberjack was staying, at least for now, yet somehow, she didn't want to reveal the location to the detectives. Something just didn't feel right about this whole situation. The almost desperate attempts to intimidate her and make her afraid of Lumberjack were setting off a lot of red flags in her mind. Rarity understood that by withholding information she was, potentially, endangering other ponies if all those accusations were true. But somehow, she still had doubts. She remembered the look on his face, the way he talked about himself and how Lumberjack generally behaved around her and none of it made her nervous. She was almost fully certain that Lumberjack was not a threat to others. Still, there was that tiny possibility of him being an excellent liar. "All I know is that he mentioned he was staying somewhere in the forest. That is all I know." Rarity added after a brief consideration. She wasn't certain about Lumberjack's fault, so she decided to give an uncertain answer. Enough to give the detectives some sort of a lead, but not enough to sell out Lumberjack.

"I see. Looks like this was a waste of time." Persistent Tracker studied her face. "I guess we will have to do some more searching around. Perhaps somepony else has some information on the matter." He sighed and slowly got up to his hooves in order to leave. Just as he was about to open the doors, he looked back at Rarity. "Thank you for your assistance, such as it was. Me and my colleagues will be staying in this town for a while, so if you learn anything new, make sure to inform us."

Rarity didn't reply, she merely nodded and watched the stallion leave her workshop, glaring a the doors well after they closed behind him. Rarity slowly worked through the emotions boiling inside her, taking slow breaths to calm herself down. Once she felt a bit relaxed, Rarity used her magic to lock the front doors of her workshop. Unless it was a life or death issue, she wasn't in the mood for any visitors and Sweetie Belle could always use the back door to get inside.

Once the potential distractions were taken care of, Rarity trotted towards the kitchen, where she could use a sharp knife to vent her frustration on the groceries.

xxxx

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I think I finally found it! After all that searching, I think this is exactly what Rarity was talking about!" Twilight squealed in joy as she once more checked the book in front of her just to make sure. "Yep, sounds just like she described. Mana Burn. A potential side effect of a Magic Rebound."

Spike put away a large pile of books and gave Twilight a confused look. "Magic Rebound? You mean like the ones you tend to have?" He gave a sheepish grin when Twilight glared at him.

"No Spike. Rebound is a different thing from a misfire, which, I'll admit, I have … experienced. Granted, it happens very rarely and mostly because an unforeseen variable entered the equation. Misfire is when you get the spell wrong, thus causing a different result. Rebound is when the energy of the spell, magic, rebounds into you. Roughly speaking it's like accidentally hitting yourself with your own spell." Twilight read the explanation out loud. At the same time she levitated a huge pile of books towards Spike as a way to get some revenge for the small dig at her.

Spike caught the pile and nearly dropped it, it was too heavy. Fortunately, his shaky grip resulted in some of the books falling to the floor, thus making the pile easier for him to carry. The purple dragon gritted his teeth and started making his way towards a nearby bookshelf, carefully maneuvering around the small stacks of books Twilight had gone through during her research. "Meh, so he tried to break off somepony's horn and got hit by his own spell big deal … On a second thought, if he was trying to do that to somepony, I'd say he got what he deserved."

Twilight shook her head. "No, Spike, you don't understand, Rebound doesn't inflict the same spell you were trying to achieve. It is a surge of raw magical energy and is the result of a powerful spell gone wrong. The book says the amount of damage depends on the strength of the spell, the strength of the unicorn casting it as well as many other factors that aren't fully understood. Damage can vary from something like headache or unconsciousness to death, complete loss of magic or … loss of the horn, among other injuries. So my theory is that Lumberjack tried to cast a powerful spell but something went wrong, causing a Magic Rebound, which destroyed his horn." She explained, tapping her lower lip thoughtfully.

"And he also suffered Mana Burn, which more or less cauterized his horn, preventing it from regroing. Like how ponies tended to cauterize bad wounds in the past when healing magic and proper medicine were hard to come by." Spike continued with a shrug as he continued Twilight's train of thought and added a historical fact he had picked up from spending most of his life around books.  
>Twilight stared at him for a moment, considering the possibility. "Sounds about right. That's a very good theory. Of course, the question is, how does one cure something like that and what kind of a spell Lumberjack was casting? I guess I could take my chances and try to find him in order to ask a few questions. Or, I could do a bit more digging and..." A series of loud knocks on the front door stopped her musings.<p>

"Hey, Twilight! Open up!" Twilight heard Rainbow's voice. For some reason, she sounded angry.

"Yeah, sure. Just a moment." The lavender alicorn replied and, with a flash of her magic, opened the door, revealing a clearly annoyed pegasus. "What's wrong? Is it some sort of an emergency? It is getting late and..."

"You're late! I can't believe you forgot... Wait, scratch that. I knew you'd forget, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Rainbow said mostly to herself before shaking her head and glaring at Twilight. "Your flying lessons, remember? We were supposed to meet ten minutes ago!"

Twilight stared at her, confusion evident on her face before realization dawned and made her jump to her hooves. "Oh... OH! Right! Yes! The lessons! How could I forget?! I promised that... oh, my … umm... yes... wait..." The realization that she was late for a lesson completely derailed her thoughts. She glanced around, looking for reference materials before realizing that there were none for what Rainbow had in mind. She then tried to grab the closest piece of paper in order to use it as a bookmark so that she could close the book in front of her. Unfortunately, she failed to notice that half of the paper sheet was trapped under a stack of books, which resulted in the stack being knocked down when Twilight pulled the piece of paper towards her. Of course, then her OCD kicked in and she just had to stack the books back up again, sorting them by alphabet, obviously. Problem was, the bookmarks she had placed inside the books were now on the floor, which meant that she had to find the correct pages again and mark them. It would only take a few...

"ENOUGH!" Spike yelled, tearing a book from Twilight's telekinetic grip. "I'll take care of this! Just... go!"

Twilight blinked a few times, breaking her momentary panic attack, and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "Okay, okay. I'm calm now. I'm calm." She took another deep breath. "Sorry about that."

"Yeah, whatever." Spike gestured in her direction while trying to figure out where to start. "Just go and let me work." Twilight made a tiny, apologetic smile and headed towards the door, where Rainbow was waiting for her.

"Are you done?" Irritation was dripping from Rainbow's voice. Even the brief show hadn't been enough to lighten her mood.

"Sorry about that. I just got so absorbed in my research I forgot all about it." Twilight made a quick apology as she closed the door behind her. She glanced at the skies, noting that it was already evening. "I didn't even notice how quickly time flew. To me it was barely after midday just a few moments ago."

Rainbow shook her head in frustration. "What else is new? At least we still have enough time for a few laps around Ponyville. C'mon, let's go." She said and took off with hardly any effort at all. Behind her, Twilight stretched her wings a few times in order to warm them up and, with a grunt of effort, took off as well, taking joy in the fact that she didn't require running starts anymore. Both mares slowly gained altitude until they were flying several meters above the buildings and headed towards the edge of the town. Twilight used the chance to observe the preparations that were taking place all over Ponyville. While most of the decorations would be set up in the next day, there were some that required more work. The outdoor stage as well as some of the larger stalls were some examples.

While most things were proceeding as expected, Twilight noticed that something wasn't quite right. She couldn't point her hoof at it, but for some reason the general atmosphere seemed a bit... off. At first she just wrote it off as general stress due to the oncoming festival. Considering the amount of effort ponies usually put in for the Nightmare Night, that was to be expected. However, as she continued to fly, Twilight noticed that it wasn't the usual anxiety, that enjoyable impatience one always had when preparing for something great. Instead, the general mood was that of concern. Ponies sporting nervous expressions, quietly discussing something in small groups, occasionally casting worried looks at their surroundings and so on. It was as if most of the town was expecting something bad to happen at any moment.

"Umm, Rainbow Dash. What's wrong with everypony?" Twilight asked during one of their several laps along the outer edge of Ponyville. "Everypony is acting so strange. As if they're scared."

Rainbow glanced towards the middle of the town, taking note of several concerned looking ponies, before looking at Twilight who was flying close behind her. She slowed down a little, so they were flying side by side. "Wait, haven't you heard? There is a psycho killer hiding in the woods. A whole bunch of detectives arrived today and have been going around, asking questions, since somepony spotted the guy a few days ago."

"What?" Twilight nearly forgot to use her wings. "A killer? Here? In Ponyville?"

"If the detectives can be trusted, then yes. They did seem scared out of their minds when they talked to me. Kept coming up with all sorts of crimes he has committed. Like he has killed more than thirty mares and then chopped them to pieces. Stuff like that. Felt a bit over the top to me. Oh, and they also gave me his description. And guess what, it was disturbingly familiar because..."

"Because Rarity described him this morning, right.? Twilight quickly put two and tow together, gasping in horror when Rainbow replied with an expressionless nod. "Does that mean Rarity spent the night under the same roof with a serial killer?"

Rainbow nodded again. "Yep. But this is where it gets weird. According to the detectives, this guy is supposed to be mentally unstable. Extremely easy to provoke and basically unable to resist his urges. Yet Rarity returned safe and sound. Even more, she had nothing but positive things to say about him and you know how good she is when it comes to getting a feel for other ponies."

"So, you think that the detectives are lying. Or at least not telling the whole truth?"

"That or this Stardust guy, that's his real name apparently, is an amazing actor, easily able to fool even Rarity."

"You know, I think I would like to have a few words with those det... detectives." Twilight cringed when a sudden pang struck her between the wings and made her realize that she was growing tired. She was nearing her limit, which, while slightly better than her previous one, was nowhere near good enough for a prolonged flight. By comparison, Rainbow wasn't even breathing hard. Her wing strokes were slow and lazy, yet still able to keep her next to Twilight. "I think I'm getting near my limit. Perhaps we should stop for tonight?"

"Not yet, Twilight. Soreness means your muscles are working outside their comfort zone. This is the best time to push your limits, even a little. You make them work a little bit extra and that additional effort will become part of your new limit." Rainbow flipped around so that she was flying backwards and on her back. Twilight recognized the taunt for what it was and glared at the pegasus. When Rainbow merely replied by giving her a challenging, smug grin, Twilight began flapping her wings with extra effort, fighting through the increasing tiredness. Still, it wasn't enough to catch Rainbow, but at least the pace quickened.

Rainbow observed Twilight's efforts and nodded approvingly. "Good. Very good. That's what I'm talking about. You won't find your limits without pushing yourself and you won't push your limits without challenging yourself." Her words seemed to encourage Twilight and the alicorn managed to make a few more laps around the town. Twilight didn't talk during those laps as all of her strength was focused on her wings and using them to remain airborne.

Eventually, Rainbow decided to call it a day and end the lesson. While it was good to see Twilight push her physical limits, Rainbow knew it from experience that there was a limit to the amount of exercise a pony should go through in one day. Too much of a good thing was still bad and considering all the exercises Twilight had gone throughout the entire day, she was nearing the limit. Otherwise, the strain would start causing damage. "Okay, Twilight. I think that's enough flying for today. Time to slow down." She said and turned her flight into more of a glide, with the occasional flap just to control her course. Behind her, Twilight did the same, though she still had to correct herself a lot more often than Rainbow did.

They were slowly losing altitude and making a wide pass over the edge of the forest when Twilight spotted something on the ground. "Rainbow, look over there! Where the road enters the forest … Is … is that a pony?" She pointed her hoof towards the figure. A wasted effort, since Rainbow couldn't see her pointing and had spotted the pony before Twilight had finished her sentence. "Looks like she is hurt."

"Let's go." Rainbow replied and shifted into a dive towards the obviously injured mare who was slowly making her way towards Ponyville. Twilight followed at a more controlled pace, not wanting to risk crashing into the ground. A few moments later, she landed on the ground with a slight stumble, her legs protesting at the sudden impact. Thankfully, Twilight quickly recovered and hurried over to Rainbow who was already standing next to the earth pony.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Twilight asked the moment she was within easy speaking distance. When her eyes fell on the purple mare's injuries, she winced. Large, nasty looking bruises covered most of the mare's body, some of them were even bleeding, leaving dark marks into the fur. The left eye was swollen shut, while the right one seemed to have problems focusing on her and Rainbow. Probably a concussion. Twilight's mind noted when she saw the questing gaze. However, all thoughts were banished from her mind when Twilight traced the mare's arm where it was pressed against the side of her neck, which was covered by a particularly thick mixture of fresh and clotted blood. A crossbow bolt! Twilight and Rainbow both gasped when they saw a half of the projectile protruding from the purple pony's neck. The end of the bolt had been snapped off at some point, but the tip and more than half of it still remained.

The mare managed to gather enough strength to finally focus her sight on the two ponies. She took a shaky step towards them, muttered something inaudible, which was more of a wheeze than anything else, and collapsed on the ground. Her hoof was still pressed against the wound and her sides were heaving with the effort of drawing air into the lungs. Almost immediately Rainbow and Twilight were next to her and looking for a way to help.

"Hurry! We have to get this thing out of her!" Rainbow indicated the bolt and reached with her mouth towards it.

"Don't! Leave it there!" Twilight stopped her friend, while her mind was running over the vast amounts of knowledge she had memorized over the years. "It acts like a cork while it is inside and helps block the blood flow, to some degree. Pulling it out will cause a lot of tissue damage and increase the bleeding."

Rainbow shot her a worried look, but decided to follow her advice. "Okay, what can we do then? Can't you use your magic to help her?"

Twilight didn't reply, instead she channeled some magic through her horn and cast a healing spell in order to stop the bleeding. The blood flow slowed down noticeably, though it was still going on. When she saw the results, Twilight bit her lower lip. "I can only make it easier. Take the edge off. I don't have the experience with healing magic and her wounds look very severe. She needs professional help. Rainbow Dash, please head to the town and get some help. I'll stay here and do what I can." Rainbow nodded in agreement and took off. A rainbow colored streak trailed her as the pegasus shot off like an arrow. Twilight watched her leave, before a sound from the injured mare claimed her attention.

"He … there … here." The mare wheezed through bloodstained lips, her voice barely audible.

"Huh? Who? … The one who attacked you? Who did this to you? Where is he?" Twilight asked one question after another, eager to get some information, but the mare didn't reply. She couldn't. The effort of staying alive seemed to claim most of her strength, leaving her unable to hold a proper conversation. She merely repeated the words a few more times before falling silent. "Don't worry. Just hold on. Help is on the way." Twilight reassured her and brushed out the light green mane out of the mare's eyes. "Help is coming." She repeated and glanced around, hoping to see Rainbow returning with the town's doctor close by. Nothing. They were completely alone for now.

Twilight cast a few more spells in order to further reduce the bleeding and treat some of the worst looking bruises. She was having mixed results. Some bruises were too much for her to handle and didn't respond to her treatments to the degree Twilight expected. Others were thankfully healed by her magic. They closed up and stopped bleeding, thus easing the burden the mare had to endure. Still, there were a lot of them remaining and Twilight could only shake her head. There was so much damage.

The thunder of hooves in the distance made her look up and Twilight was relieved to see Rainbow, followed by a pair of earth ponies and a unicorn, running at full gallop. She didn't know who they were, but she was glad to see some help arrive. One of the ponies, an earth pony stallion, wearing a trench coat, was running right next to Rainbow. The moment he spotted the mare on the ground, his face twisted into an expression of horror. "Shit, shit, shit... Damn it! Not her! Hurry up!" He ordered his fellow ponies with a shout.

Twilight quickly moved away from the injured mare as the three ponies she didn't know, skidded to a halt next to her. The unicorn, a mare with a blue coat and a messy, dark blue mane, quickly started treating the wounds with healing magic and Twilight was impressed to see the skill at display. The healing magic not only looked, it felt magnitudes stronger than her attempts. The bruises were quickly closing up and disappearing before her eyes. Even the crossbow bolt injury in the neck was treated almost immediately. The bolt was teleported out of the wound, which was closed up a moment later, leaving only a pale scar. Meanwhile the pony with the trench coat was having a silent conversation with the purple mare. Now that her wounds were being treated, she was able to gather enough strength to provide answers, though her voice was so quiet neither Twilight, nor Rainbow could hear her.

"What the fuck's going on here!" A loud voice came from above the small group of ponies, where a beige pegasus was coming in for a landing. He landed with a heavy thump and surveyed the scene. "Is that Amethyst Jewel? Did that fucker messed her up?" He shifted his gaze towards Rainbow and Twilight. "Who the fuck are you two nags supposed to be?"

"Nags?" Rainbow arched her eyebrow with a low growl, while Twilight merely frowned at the insult. "We're the ones who found your friend, asshole." The pegasus glared at Rainbow and took a threatening step towards her.

"What did you call me you bitch?" He was about to say more when the earth pony, now done with his conversation, intervened.

"Stand down Storm Chaser. If it weren't for them, Amethyst jewel would be dead now. So do us all a favor and be quiet." He barked out an order in harsh voice, causing Storm Chaser to move away, though the glares he and Rainbow were exchanging were a clear sign that it wasn't over. One problem solved, the stallion looked at the unicorn, who was done treating the Amethyst's wounds. "She needs some rest. Get her out of here." The unicorn stood up, but hesitated a moment. She traced a questioning look from Amethyst, to Twilight and to the leader. When the stallion replied with a short nod, the mare cast a teleportation spell, causing her and the injured pony to disappear.

"What the..." Twilight gasped when she felt the discharge of magic wash over her and she noticed how powerful it was. It was almost like a physical force, nearly pushing her away. Clearly, the mare was not an ordinary unicorn. "High level healing spells and teleportation. Who are you?" There was no reaction to her words. The three ponies ignored her and started moving towards the forest. It was only when Twilight teleported in front of them and repeated her question, did she receive a reply.

The earth pony stallion gritted his teeth and glared at her in a mixture of anger and uneasiness. "We're detectives. As you may or may not know, we're from Section 9, we were sent here from Canterlot to capture a particularly dangerous criminal. I'll have to ask you to leave, since this is no place for civilians."

Twilight frowned at the reply. "A dangerous criminal? Here?" She recalled what Rainbow had told her and quickly connected the dots. "You know, if he is really that dangerous, perhaps Rainbow and I could help you capture him? I am sure, we can handle him."

"You are mistaken. Stardust is no ordinary criminal." The stallion shook his head. "You cannot handle him. You saw what he did to our colleague and she was a trained operative. Please, for your own safety, go home. Leave it to us."

Twilight tried to object, but was forced to take a step back when Storm Chaser moved in front of her, blatantly invading her personal space. "Yeah, you heard him. This is no place for you. So get the fuck lost!" He snarled and shoved Twilight away. The alicorn was caught completely off guard by the sudden movement and, as a result, was sent sprawling to the ground by the immense force the pegasus had used.

Even before she was fully on the ground Rainbow sprung into action. Storm Chaser blinked in surprise when, in a flash, a cyan pegasus practically materialized in front of him from thin air and smacked him in the face with solid hoof. Rainbow was a very athletic pony, most of her daily activities were physically demanding, which meant she was in an excellent shape. Not only that, but she also had studied martial arts and knew how to hit another pony. However, much to her, and Twilight's surprise, Storm Chaser barely reacted to the strike. A hit, which would have sent most ponies if not straight to the ground then at least staggering, was barely enough to turn his head.

A wide grin settled on Storm Chaser's face when Rainbow stared at him in surprise. "Oooh, this one's feisty. You think you're hot shit? C'mere! I'll show you what a stallion does to a mare who acts up!"

"STORM CHASER! STAND THE HELL DOWN! NOW!" A loud voice cut through the air before Storm Chaser could take a single step. The earth pony pushed himself between the two pegasi and shot the beige pegasus a death glare. "I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOUR CRAP! ONE MORE TIME AND I WILL MAKE SURE YOU REGRET THE DAY YOU WERE BORN!" He screamed in his face, anger and, to Twilight's surprise, terror, filling his voice. For a moment, it looked like Storm Chaser had no intention of listening, but after a few tense moments, he backed down.

Rainbow was about to taunt the whipped pegasus, but Twilight's gentle hoof on her withers, convinced her to remain calm. Not a single word was spoken as the detectives moved into the forest, while Twilight and Rainbow followed them with their eyes. They remained standing for a while even after the three ponies had disappeared from their sight, their minds digesting what had just happened. "Detectives, yeah, right. What a bunch of assholes." Rainbow eventually commented. "If these are supposed to be the good guys, I would like to see the guy they're after."

"Let's go." Twilight said eventually and started moving towards Ponyville in a quick trot.

Rainbow gave her a surprised look and glanced back at the forest before following her. "Umm, Twilight, aren't we going to follow them? Every single feather in my wings is telling me that there's something weird going on. We have to find out what's going on!"

"We will. Don't worry. But not by following them. We'll start from the other end. They said they're from Canterlot and I know a pony who could fill us in on this matter. Especially since this is the first time I've heard of an organization by that name."

"You're going to write a letter, aren't you?"

"Precisely. All government organizations, based in Canterlot, are under the oversight of Princess Celestia or Princess Luna. One letter will be enough to provide us with some answers. And then we will get to the bottom of this."

xxxxx

"Spike! Spike, where are you! I need you to take a letter for me." Twilight called as she entered the library later that evening. She had parted ways with Rainbow soon after entering the town and had decided not to waste a single second. "It is very important!"

"I'm here. In the kitchen." Spike's voice answered her. "I wanted to make myself an evening snack."

Twilight entered the kitchen and him preparing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As always, the dragon was making a huge mess of things. Twilight opened her mouth to point that out, but decided to let it go. There were other, more pressing matters. "No time for that, now. Time is of the essence. Please, Spike..."

"Yeah, yeah." Spike sighed and, with a forlorn cast on his sandwiches, left the counter in order to fetch a quill, an inkwell and a blank scroll. He returned a few minutes later, carrying the items in his claws. He placed them on the table, made himself comfortable and, after raising his claw with the quill, cast a meaningful look at Twilight.

"Thank you." Twilight cleared her throat and took a deep breath before starting to dictate the letter. "Dear Princess Luna. I apologize for bothering you so suddenly, but it seems that something very wrong is going on. Today I learned that there is a very dangerous criminal, hiding in the forest near Ponyville. A mentally unstable pony who attacks others without provocation. At least that is what the detectives told me. However, there are few things that doesn't make sense. The detectives told me that they're from Canterlot, a unit called Section 9. And they were sent here to capture this criminal. Thing is, I have studied the organizations in Canterlot. Extensively, I might add. And there is no such organization. I am certain of it. Even if it was a secret organization, I would have found some sort of information on them, yet there is nothing. Nothing at all. Clearly, they are hiding something. I can't quite place my hoof on it, but it's there." She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts and give Spike a moment to flex his claw.

"Furthermore, regarding the criminal they are after. His description perfectly matches the pony Rarity met in the forest and..." She heard Spike take a deep breath at the last sentence. "Don't worry Spike. You know very well that nothing happened to her and Rarity can take care of herself in an emergency." Twilight said in a reassuring voice, glad to see Spike calm down after considering her words. After that, she continued the letter.

"...and Rarity described him as a kindhearted pony. A pony with some problems, sure, but nothing that indicated him as a mentally unstable serial killer. I trust Rarity in this matter, since she is very good at reading other ponies and it is difficult to fool her. As a result, there are two opinions on the matter. Rarity's and that of the detectives. Strange. The reason I am writing this letter is because I need to have some answers. If there is truly an organization like Section 9, you must know something about it. Or, perhaps you have heard about the criminal they are chasing? His name is Stardust. I understand that this could be a covert operation that is best resolved quickly and in secrecy. However, a lot of ponies over here are getting nervous, so I would appreciate any information you can divulge on the matter. Please, reply as soon as you can. Your friend, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight finished dictating the letter and waited for Spike to finish writing it. "Wonderful. Please send it immediately, Spike. There is not a moment to lose."

"Got it." Spike started rolling up the scroll for easier transportation when he saw Twilight trotting towards the kitchen door. "Wait, what are you going to do?"

"That's simple, Spike. I will check my books for any information on Section 9. I know we just asked Luna in the letter, but, hopefully I can find something before she replies. That or we find some information in case Luna doesn't know anything."

"Research, huh? Why do I get the feeling it will end up all over the floor again?" Spike made a heavy sigh and prepared himself to do another cleanup that was sure to follow a few hours later. Hopefully, the Princess would reply before Twilight managed to make too big a mess of things.


End file.
